Prices for young lambs reach $238 at weekly Warwick sheep sale

Representing 816 head in the overall yarding of 1285, restockers and processors alike looked to cash in on the quality lambs on offer, with most offerings selling from $104/hd to the $238/hd top and averaging about $180/hd.

Well-finished trade and heavy lambs, along with feeder lambs sold to firm prices, while the ewe category once again received strong competition from the restockers.

Among the vendors looking to capitalise on the push for lambs was Phillip Byrnes, Alpine, Texas, who sold two pens of Dorper-cross ewes, weighing 39 kilograms on average, for $179 and $182 respectively and a pen of lamb wethers, weighing 41kg on average, for $188.

"I was pretty happy with that result," Mr Byrnes said.

"Those prices are pretty consistent with the market has been sitting in recent weeks, which is all you can really hope for."

Ewes were the next biggest category at Wednesday's sale, with 236 head up for bids, which ranged in price from a $12 low to a top of $228 for some Dorper ewes weighing 58kg, averaging $116.

Prices for hoggets varied depending on breed and quality with a high representation of cross-bred hoggets up for bids.

Most hogget pens sold for about $156, while a draft of hoggets on account of Gordon were a highlight of the section selling for $220.

However, hoggets topped at $228 with a draft which sold for $110 representing the other end of the category.

Hoggets to the wholesale meat trade averaged $172 and sold to $207.

The 58 wethers yarded for Wednesday's sale sold well, ranging in price from $174 to $230, with high demand from processors driving the category average to $192.

Old lambs presented as one of the most expensive categories at Wednesday's sale, topping at $370, while most of the 66 head offered averaged about $173.

A small yarding of 11 rams rounded out the sale, ranging in price from $72 to a $390 for a stud-quality Dorper ram, while most averaged $202.