WHAT a week it was for ewes sales in the Corrigin and Wickepin areas two weeks ago as vendors received prices not previously seen before in WA for commercial ewes.
Records tumbled in the Elders and Landmark sheep sales at Corrigin and Wickepin to set a new benchmark for sheep prices in WA going forward.
In the two sales, prices for ewes sky-rocketed to previously unrecorded levels for commercial, unmated ewes, resulting in the sales grossing a combined $3.679 million.
Over the two sales prices hit a high of $239 for March shorn, Glen-Byrne blood, 3.5-year-old Merino ewes in the Corrigin leg of the Landmark Corrigin-Wickepin State Premier Ewe and Wether Lamb sale, to set what is believed to be a new State auction record price for commercial ewes.
In the same yarding, 1.5yo August shorn, Claypans blood, Merino ewes sold to $231, to also surpass the previous State record for commercial ewes.
The previous record for commercial ewes was $221 set in 2017 when a line of March-shorn, Merino ewes scanned in lamb multiple to Suffolk rams sold at this value.
All up in the two sales Elders and Landmark offered and sold a total of 23,073 ewes, ewe lambs and wether lambs, for an average of $159.45.
Prices in both sales last week saw ewe values strengthen on other spring sheep sales held earlier in the season, where prices topped at $202 at the Westcoast Wool & Livestock sale at Kondinin.
The ewe offerings in both sales were certainly the stars of the show as buyers, full of confidence on the back of high wool and sheep returns, scrambled to fill their orders for replacement breeders.
Over the two sales, Elders and Landmark offered a total of 19,635 ewes ranging in age from 1.5yo through to 5.5yo and with the strong demand sold for an average of $174.42.
Of the 71 mature ewe lines offered across the two sales, 13 made above the magical $200 mark and this was no doubt on the back of the strong support from the huge number of registered buyers at both sales.
At the Elders sale there were a total of 58 registrations while the Landmark offering attracted 73 registered buyers.
Another 13 lines made between $180 and $200.
In the same two sales last year prices hit a high of $212 in the Wickepin leg of the Landmark sale and only one other line sold for more than $200.
