WA weekly sheep summary

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Lambs

Prime trade and heavy lamb numbers remain limited with most trade weight lambs again secondary, tail end drafts. Direct-to-works deliveries of old season lambs appear adequate for the major processors requirements at present, with processors returning from maintenance shutdowns having reduced throughput.  

• Little rain over the week saw supplies lift by close to 3,500 head at Muchea, again mostly secondary and store Merino drafts
• Katanning numbers fell around 15% with rain overnight influencing numbers.

Buyers from all sectors were present this week but some operated selectively. Feeder and live export competition improved on all store and wether drafts. Prices for most lamb categories lifted by $4 to $8/head.

• Prime lambs averaged close to 510¢, with the Merino and store conditioned drafts priced between 440¢ and 480¢/kg cwt
• Trade lamb lifted $7 and sold between $79 and $125/head to be close to 500¢/kg cwt
• Lighter lambs suitable for the processors, air freight markets and feeders were around $5 dearer at $60 to $100/head
• Light and store lambs to restockers, mostly Merinos, sold between $30 and $60/head.

Mutton

Ewe supplies lifted moderately with wether and ram supplies similar. Ewe mutton prices lifted slightly on the improved selection with larger supplies of heavy weight ewes available.

Ewe prices to processors were firm to $5 dearer, largely due to increased weight, with the heavier 3 and 4 score ewes making $75 to $108/head to average close to 310c/kg cwt. 2 score ewes to processor orders sold between $45 and $76, with light ewes from $36 to $52/head. Restocker activity remained firm on suitable younger ewe drafts with prices between $48 and $98/head.

Wether prices firmed with improved live export feeder and processor activity. Export weight wether drafts made $85 to $112/head. Lighter conditioned wethers, mostly to restockers made between $65 and $95/head.

Ram lambs sold to $111, with live exporters and restockers paying $40 to $85/head on suitable drafts. Older drafts to processors made $10 to $55/head. 

Note: All yardings and prices referenced from MLA’s National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) reported saleyards.