NLRS now reporting Deniliquin sheep and lamb sale, NSW

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Commencing this week, the National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) will report Deniliquin sheep and lamb sale in NSW.

It was a mixed winter yarding of 2,283 lambs and 1,700 sheep, and there were odd pens of better finished lambs off feed or irrigation country. The majority of the yarding comprised of lighter weight lambs, including large lines of plain quality Merinos.

All the regular buyers operated in a market that fluctuated based on quality. The better quality domestic and export slaughter lambs were dearer compared to the previous sale a fortnight ago, while secondary lambs lacking condition and carcase shape were cheaper.

There were just a few pens of new season lambs offered and the top two drafts suiting domestic orders sold to $154/head and averaged over 620¢/kg cwt. Agents expect the flush of new season lambs to begin in the next sale in a fortnight's time.

• Light lambs were dominated by Merinos which made up more than 15% of the yarding. Most were in very plain fat score 1 and 2 conditions and were cheaper, at $40 to $68 for the plainest and smallest pens, and from $88 to $123/head for the better trade weights.
• Light weight crossbred slaughter lambs generally sold from $70 to $96/head.
• The general run of trade weight lambs sold from $102 to $141/head, with most averaging from 540¢ to 560¢/kg cwt.
• There was only a limited selection of heavy export lambs, many in smaller pen lots, which sold from $151 to a top of $178/head.

The mutton market trended cheaper, with plainer conditioned trade weight ewes the most affected.

• Most of the lighter weight sheep sold from $46 to $66/head.
• Heavy crossbred ewes sold from $105 to $128.  
• Heavy bare shorn Merinos sold to $100/head.

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