Yass Special First Cross Ewe Sale 2025

Prices were up across the board, and quality rose despite seasonal challenges to reach a top of $480.

Transcript

00:00You're definitely seeing a strength on your repeat and your lead sheep.

00:03When you sort of get into the second drafts, we're starting to see a little bit of top-end resistance

00:08or probably just lacking in competition might be more where we're lacking maybe.

00:12Still very strong compared to last year, there's no doubt about that.

00:15We'd be well and truly $100 above last year's pricing, which is good to see.

00:19Repeat vendors that have lead sheep are getting rewarded

00:22and just their second draft probably just lacking a little bit of competition

00:25from further afield more than anything.

00:27Where the market's at at the moment is in the fat market.

00:30You know, when you're selling lambs for $200 to $300 plus and ewes,

00:34you know, the coal ewes are making $150 to $250.

00:38The equation, the old equation of a ewe on a lamb stacks up pretty quickly.

00:43But the way the market is here today, people haven't had to spend that much money,

00:48which in the buyer's respect, they're probably appreciating it

00:52because they've had a tough year as well.

00:53They've had to feed a lot of sheep.

00:54They've had to outlaid a lot of cost.

00:55So we're in that sort of cross at the moment where it's getting close to people

01:00that are, you know, producing the ewes, are finding it tough to produce them

01:03at that sort of rate.

01:04But also for the other end, the producers can't afford to spend too much more on them either.

01:09So it's an interesting equation this year anyway.

01:11It's been fairly ordinary down home, so we've sort of missed out on any sort of a spring.

01:15So these ewes have been on a feeder, self-feeders for the last sort of four months

01:20just to prepare them and get the condition on them for this sale.

01:24I've brought ewes here for now for probably 15 years,

01:28here and then back when it was the Goulburn sale.

01:31And it's, yeah, it's a good place to present stock to sell.

01:34I have two places down at Cooma.

01:37One's closer to Jindermine.

01:39Run almost, or just a tad over 2,000 merino ewes.

01:43About 800 of them are joined to Border Leicesters.

01:46Normanhurst Border Leicesters.

01:49Bloodlines in the merino ewes, homes, pure edge of labra.

01:53And the other, I've got the higher country, is a main range base flock.

01:58Big emphasis on structure.

01:59Yeah, good bone, good doing ability is a big thing down home.

02:04So you sort of want those sheep that can handle tough conditions.

02:09Lamb well every year, like you want your 100% lambing.

02:13And, yeah, all those things.