Lambs: 24,100. Change: up 2309. 

Sheep: 7139. Change: down 7151.

There was a modest lift in lamb numbers to 24,100 head, while sheep numbers halved as the cull, due to the dry season, starts to slow. 

Quality in the lamb run was better than a week ago, with more consistent finish and weight evident across the young unshorn lambs. 

All the regular buyers operated and showed reasonable demand for numbers, which underpinned a strong market which gained pace as the sale progressed. 

Prices were mostly $4 to $10/head dearer, with the heaviest and lighter weight domestic lambs recording the best gains. There wasn't a lot of price change over the medium trade weight lambs. 

A small pen of heavy shorn lambs topped the sale at $243/head. The heaviest pens of young lambs weighing over 27kg cwt sold from $215 to a top of $233/head. 

The main run of good crossbred young lambs in the 22-24kg cwt bracket made from $163 to $190 to average $177/head. 

Specialist restockers from Ballarat did apply some buying pressure in the 18-21kg cwt range of lambs against processors, with most sales improving to between $138 to $166/head and it was this style of lamb which showed the most dollar per head improvement of the sale. 

On a carcass basis most lambs to processors consistently averaged from 710c to 750c/kg cwt. The selection of old season lambs continues to dwindle, although any recently shorn pens that displayed good carcass quality were dearer. 

Sheep supplies tightened amid strong demand from processors which led to significant price gains of $10 to $20/head for mutton. 

There was some big lines of extra heavy crossbred ewes which sold to $162, while the heavy Merino wethers reached $160/head. Mutton tracked comfortably above 400c, with the good lines of medium weight Merinos estimated at around 450c/kg cwt.

SUCKERS

Barr Downs Past Co (64) Kerang $233.00 

The Active Corp (72) Sutton Grange $225.00 

HA & ER Westblade (63) Kerang $225.00 

MC & AC Ryan (60) Colbinabbin $224.00 

Colbinabbin Hill (39) Colbinabbin $223.00 

Stevenson F/T (68) Lake Charm $222.00 

CJ Martin (74) Inglewood $221.00 

P & J Webb (53) Glenburn $220.00 

PA Condelly (57) Lake Meran $215.00 

G Lowndes (23) Strathfeildsaye $215.00 

P & B Meighan (88) Mitiamo $210.00 

G & I Watson (32) Rochester $210.00 

AL & G Lloyd (36) Stuart Mill  $206.50 

P & W Goodman (32) Derrinal  $205.00 

JM & RM Ryan ( 35) Wanalta $205.00 

P & J Dreschler (13) Sutton Grange $204.00 

RE & SF Coatsworth (47) Teddywaddy West $201.00 

Chartwell Farms (48) Romsey $200.00 

AE & G Chambers (60) Marong $200.00 

DJ & ED Lees (128) Rochester $200.00 

DP & SA Ludeman (86) Raywood $200.00 

DI Gitsham & Sons (56) Kerang $198.00 

GJ & GM Bremner (40) Quambatook $198.00 

Lyndoch Farming (112) Macorna $198.00 

D Webb (37) Seymour $195.00 

LJ & PM Cooper (45) Strathfieldsaye $195.00 

Jason Davis (66) Sutton Grange $194.00 

C Graham Family (28) Arnold $192.00 

W.A.T Solutions P/L (93) Walmer $190.00 

K & B Griffin (100) hunter $188.00 

RG Barnes (22) Shelbourne $188.00 

RJ & K Newton (50) Nagambie $187.00 

PJ & TI Hamilton (33) Marong $184.00 

S Ford & Sons (71) Baringhup $183.00 

T Grant (27) Longwood $183.00 

FA Hill (64) Derrinal $183.00 

NW&ER Davis (26) Sutton Grange $178.00 

GN Davies (45) Eddington $176.00 

KJ & VE Micheel (100) Elmore $174.00 

GW & ML Curnow (42) Laanecoorie $170.00 

Hercus & Punton (34) Eastville $170.00 

CROSSBRED LAMBS

RW & MF Doak (41) Axedale $243.00 

KWD & IS Evans (21) Woodvale $210.00 

MERINO LAMBS 

DA White (156) Tandarra $163.00 

Hacon Past (59) Tongala $123.00 

MERINO WETHERS 

CF & JM Powell (25) Axedale  $159.00 

BJ Roney (80) Toolleen  $144.00 

Keeyuga Past (1240 Glenrowan $133.00 

GN & JB Talbot (78) Lancefield $118.00 

CROSSBRED EWES

MS & AC Ryan (35) Colbinabbin $162.00 

Yenren Past Co (156) Mansfield $160.00 

BD & S Cail (56) Kamarooka $158.00 

GW & ML Curnow (44) Laanecoorie $155.00 

T & B Cail (29) Kamarooka $154.00 

AL & KM Pickhall (77) St Arnaud $150.00 

Trengoff Past Co (85) Euroa $146.00 

The Active Corp (29) Sutton Grange $142.00 

Springvale Past (72) Murchison $126.00 

EA Prowse (69) Violet Town $119.00 

HR & RS Long (23) Maroondah $114.00 

MERINO EWES

L Robinson (126) Minto  $155.00 

J & K Naughton (57) Tatura  $150.00 

JC & LJ Younghusband (181) Inglewood $136.00 

GJ Ross (133) Mia Mia  $133.00 

B West (42) Raywood  $132.00 

DJ,AD & PA Bickford (58) Lockwood  $130.00 

Wanalta Ag P/L (118) Rushworth  $130.00 

G Haines (113) Nagambie  $118.00 

October 16.

Cattle numbers remained fairly steady, with 189 coming forward. The quality was very mixed, with half the yarding being secondary cattle. Good quality heavy steers were in limited supply and sold to a top of $2.67 per kilogram. Medium to heavy steers were in better supply this week and sold to a top of $2.68 per kilogram, holding firm to slightly down on the previous market. A mixed run of vealers came through and the better calves sold to a top of $3.20 per kilogram. A small run of cows sold to a top of $2.27, 8 to 10 cents dearer than last week. 

Heavy Steers over 500kg sold to $2.56

Medium to Heavy Steers 450- 500 kg sold to 2.75

Steer Veal Heavy over 400kgs sold to 322

Steer Veal medium 320 – 390kg sold to 3.20

Heifers Veal 420 to 490kgs sold to $ 3.02

Heifer Veal 320 – 390kgs sold to $3.01

Beef Cows - $2.27

STEERS

Warren De-Haan - Derrinal $ 1,841.67 

John Hampson - Wychitella $ 1,647.20 

Bulla Investment Group - Bulla $ 1,625.33 

R Sharp - Derrinal $ 1,444.25 

MM Davis - Sutton Grange $ 1,388.20 

C & S Wilson - Sedgewick $ 1,196.16 

VEALERS

P & B Meighan - Mitiamo  $ 1,371.70 

Broadacres - Piavella  $ 1,328.00 

S & J Barnes - Axe Creek $ 1,248.00 

Dead Horse Hill - Toolleen  $ 1,143.80 

M Hoctor - Axedale $ 1,062.64 

WA & KD Read - Barnadown  $ 992.80 

COWS

CD Hepburn - Strangways $ 1,701.00 

G Morris - Huntly $ 1,648.50 

EK & SJ Stone - Eastville $ 1,501.55 

R Sharp - Derrinal  $ 1,255.68 

WC & RF Bransgrove - Nannella  $ 1,034.28 

GJ & SV Catto - Rheola $ 933.86 

BULLS

P Kortum - Elmore $ 1,296.36 

Week ending October 27

McKean & McGregor 5 & 2; Ellis Nuttall 1 & 3; FP Nevins  3 & 5; Landmark 2 & 6; Elders 4 & 1; Rodwells 6 & 4.