Lamb numbers declined following the widespread rain and buyer demand intensified to create a dearer market.

Heavy lambs gained $7 to $15/head over a better quality offering, with some big lambs off supplementary feed coming in. In the trade lamb run, quality influenced price outcomes, with buyers prepared to pay more for stock with reasonable fat cover and in neater skins.

Prices varied for plainer trade weights or small pen lots of a few head. The highlight of the sale was increased competition for light weight lambs, with two strong store orders operating against processors for the limited supply.

Lambs under 20kg cwt averaged $5 to $10 dearer, with some of the smallest lambs to restockers surging by up to $24/head on a week ago. Only very small lambs under 12kg cwt made less than $100/head. Some impressive fed lambs over 30kg cwt sold from $227 to a top of $264/head.

Crossbred lambs, weighing 26-30kg cwt, made from $190 to $236/head. Overall, nearly 50 pens of heavy lambs made over $200, with domestic buyers pushing into the low $200/head price bracket at times.

These heavy lambs sold from 710c to 780c/kg cwt depending on size and whether they suited export or domestic orders. The supply of well finished trade weight lambs was limited, the pick of the neat 24kg cwt lambs making to $189/head.

The bulk of the domestic lambs made from $155 to $185/head. Bidding for light weight lambs was animated, with store orders from Shepparton and Bendigo setting the pace. The main run of store lambs in the 16-18kg cwt made from $135 to $147 to average $140/head to the paddock. Demand for Merino lambs was solid, particularly for pens that displayed good finish, these trended above 700c/kg cwt. Mutton numbers tightened, resulting in another buoyant sale. Just 4,748 sheep were yarded and the big lines of ewes and wethers that have been the hallmark of recent markets were absent.

Heavy sheep with fat cover were highly sought after, and the fat score 3 and 4 ewes and wethers over 24kg cwt received the best attention to average well over 600c/kg cwt. In dollar per head terms, the heaviest crossbred ewes made from $200 to $240, and some recently shorn heavy Merino wethers sold to $214/head.

CROSSBRED LAMBS

Chambers & Bradley (20) Marong $ 260.00

WB Bennett (36) Moulamein $ 258.00

BJ & JM Poole (140) Elmore $ 254.00

PDMK Christie (70) Culwin $ 254.00

Momloa Farms (41) Berrigan $ 250.00

Momloa Farms (59) Berrigan $ 248.00

A,E & G Chambers (78) Marong $ 246.00

RL & KD Mountjoy (44) Neilborough East $ 245.00

Stonehaven F/t (32) Normanville $ 244.00

MJ & SL Foot (84) Birchip $ 241.00

Urquart Farms (82) Finley $ 240.00

JP & KM Hewitt (76) Kerang $ 236.00

RW & MP Walker (24) Upton Hill $ 235.00

Peter F Schlitz (50) Quambatook $ 230.00

GJ & GM Bremner (32) Quambatook $ 229.00

EK & SJ Stone (51) Eastville $ 226.00

Potters Hillside (29) Boort $ 220.00

G & L McGurk (95) Charlton $ 220.00

Willesden Green P/L (139) Meering West $ 215.00

GJ & HE Chalmers (22) Leichardt $ 215.00

GF & CM Rathjen (39) Colbinabbin $ 214.00

DJ & AL Hughes (22) Rochester $ 214.00

G & V Baldwin (25) Gre Gre $ 210.00

JM & DJ Johnson (17) Hunter $ 210.00

Blencove Farm (22) Donald $ 209.00

JT Driscoll (22) St Arnaud $ 206.00

PT & KF Howard (80) Goornong $ 205.00

S Harbour (11) Tennyson $ 204.00

BA & SA McCahon (52) Terrick Terrick East $ 196.00

Barbetti Property (48) Nullawil $ 196.00

Sims Pastoral (73) Pine Grove $ 195.00

P Moyle (60) Huntly $ 192.00

E &A Holland (51) Neeriman $ 189.00

Timmy & Jess Bickley (51) Goornong $ 187.00

LR Walyters (45) Dingwall $ 169.00

MERINO LAMBS

Barbetti Property (54) Nullawil $ 198.00

VA Toose (152) Boort $ 197.50

C Osborne (56) Boort $ 190.00

GL McGurk (178) Charlton $ 188.00

Old Murray Past (66) Huntly $ 182.00

RJ & MG Hartley (108) Diggora $ 180.00

Lafranchie (96) Maryborough $ 178.00

RJ Tonkin & Sons (70) Wedderburn $ 162.00

MERINO WETHERS

G & W Collins (100) Fentons Creek $ 214.00

O'Sullivan Trading (80) Elmore $ 145.00

AG & SM Butler (10) Rochester $ 133.00

P & R Spowart (25) Pyramid Hill $ 127.00

CROSSBRED EWES

DWJ & M Turnbull (29) Dumosa $ 240.00

G & K Addlem (21) Serpentine $ 225.00

P Flanagan (3) Coimadai $ 211.00

O'Sullivan Farms (57) Gredgwin $ 204.00

BD & N McLennan (4) Trep terip $ 180.00

Pickup Past (20) Yea $ 164.00

The Gorge Partnership (55) Clarkefield $ 164.00

MERINO EWES

G & K Addlem (56) Serpentine $ 190.00

Gredgwin Ridge (57) Gredgewin $ 188.00

PJ Fitzpatrick (5) Barrakee $ 153.00

Tuesday, May 7

Cattle numbers remained fairly similar this week to the previous week.

The cattle presented were once again quite mixed and the finished cattle sold exceptionally well.

Heavy steers sold to a top of $3.05 per kilogram.

Medium to heavy steers sold to a top of $3.10 per kilogram, both 5 to 10 cents dearer.

A good run of vealers came through and the better calves sold to a top of $3.29 per kilogram, holding fully firm from last week's market.

A good run of cows sold to a top of $2.15 per kilogram, also 5 cents dearer than the previous market.

Heavy Steers over 500kg sold to $3.05

Medium to Heavy Steers 450- 500 kg sold to $3.10

Steer Veal Heavy over 400kgs sold to 3.25

Steer Veal medium 320 - 390kg sold to 3.26

Heifers Veal 420 to 490kgs sold to $ 3.25

Heifer Veal 320 - 390kgs sold to $3.29

Beef Cows - $2.15

STEERS

P Moyle - Huntly $ 1,776.25

P & B Meighan - Mitiamo $ 1,530.54

WC & RF Bransgrove - Nanneella $ 1,306.25

S Hocking - Drumartin $ 1,236.56

Phillip & Laura Hocking - Kamarooka $ 1,179.20

VEALERS

P & B Meighan - Mitiamo $ 1,342.00

Broadacres Farms - Piavella $ 1,264.80

Francis & Shelton - Kangaroo Flat $ 1,252.94

Julbre Park - Jeffcott $ 1,252.26

AS & KR Read - Goornong $ 1,160.00

P Gaudion - Lockwood $ 1,120.35

COWS

Lynette A'Vard - Goornong $ 1,736.00

PG Rawlins - Clydesdale $ 1,431.00

AP & KA Barri - Heathcote $ 1,262.50

Julbre Park - Jeffcott $ 1,176.60

HEIFERS

P Moyle - Huntly $ 1,423.52

AS & KR Read - Goornong $ 1,160.00

L A'Vard - Goornong $ 1,094.86

Week ending May 18

McKean & McGregor 4 & 1

Ellis Nuttall 1 & 3

FP Nevins 2 & 6

Landmark 6 & 4

Elders 3 & 5

Rodwells 5 & 2