46,000 head yarding at Bendigo Sheep and Lambs

Yarding - 46,000

Lambs - 28,000

Sheep - 18,000

There was another very large yarding of 28,000 lambs drawn at Bendigo. Quality was mixed throughout the market with more heavier lambs sold and a mix of lighter lambs showing dryness in their skins with many young lambs ranging from medium to light trade weights. All the regular buying gallery were present with at least two extra buyers present as they operated consistently in a mostly unchanged market for the medium and heavy trade lambs with the heavy lambs selling from equal to a few dollars easier overall. Light lambs sold from firm up to $5/head dearer. The lift in restocker interest increased the competition for the lighter weight lambs as the came from Ballarat, Swan Hill, Rainbow, South Australia and locally. They paid $43 to $122 for lighter lots and from $117 up to $169/head for store lambs with more frame and cover.

Light 2 score lambs to the processors made from $80 to $118/head to average 665c/kg cwt. Light trade weight lambs sold from $100 to $134/head, averaging 685c/kg cwt. Medium trade weight 2 and 3 score lambs sold from $128 to $153/head, averaging 685c/kg cwt. Heavy trade weight young lambs made $175 to $193/head as they averaged an estimated 725c/kg cwt. Heavy lambs, 3 and 4 score, were from $195 to $207 with the heavier 4 score export lambs selling from $200 to $236/head, or from 700c to 740c/kg cwt.

The penning of old lambs ranged from plain to good with the medium weights making from $104 to $143, heavier weights $123 to $200 and hoggets with good cover made from $96 to $146/head.

There was 18,000 sheep offered to a slightly smaller number of buyers that were not all operating fully and the quality was made of all weights and grades with some sheep showing signs of the dry season. The prices showed a downward trend of $3 to $9 for very light sheep, while light sheep were $10 to $12/head lower. Medium mutton were $15 to $20 easier and the heavier sheep sold $30 to $40/head cheaper. Extra light 1 score sheep sold from $5 to $48 to average 180c and the light weight 1 and 2 scores made from $15 to $70/head with the Merino ewes averaging close to 300c/kg cwt. Medium weight sheep, 2 and 3 scores, sold between $64 to $108/head with the Merino mutton averaging 350c and the crossbred ewe mutton 340c/kg cwt. Heavy crossbred ewes sold from $89 to $126/head to average 330c/kg cwt. Heavy Merino ewes sold from $90 to $128/head, averaging 395c/kg cwt. Heavy Merino wethers sold from $100 to $135, to average an estimated 440c/kg cwt with the medium weights making $74 to $106/head. The best of the rams of all breeds made from $27 to $100/head