NUMBERS were 9350 shy of Wagga's record sheep and lamb sale which was held back in 2006.
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Early indications on Wednesday signalled that the Wagga sheep and lamb sale could host a record market on Thursday with agents showing they had 72,500 head to sell.
Despite the big draw livestock agents and saleyards management were quietly confident the big sell off wouldn't eventuate.
RELATED COVERAGE:
The total of 62,650 was 9350 less than what was sold at Wagga back in November 2006.
Early on in the market on Thursday morning livestock agents indicated that prices were back by about $10 compared to last week.
However, the sentiment was still positive given the big yarding.
Regular faces at the market, the Hazelwood family of "Rockele", Nangus were at the saleyards to watch the action.
They wanted to see how prices were holding up due to the big numbers.
HOW THEY SOLD: According to Meat and Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service numbers lifted marginally at Wagga.
Agents offered a very good quality yarding of new season trade and heavy lambs, however the heavy portion lacked the weight of previous sales.
The better types of light weight lambs were keenly sought by local restockers and interstate buyers, while the plainer types were purchased by processors. It was a smaller field of export and domestic buyers at the rail and competition was subdued across all lamb classes. Trade lamb prices bounced around throughout the sale, with competition patchy.
The best of the heavy trade lambs 22-24kg eased $16/head to average 790c/kg cwt. Light weight lambs to the processors eased $4 to $6 making from $115 to $150/head. Heavy young lambs sold $12/head cheaper, averaging 808c/kg cwt. Despite the limited availability of quality extra heavy lambs, prices eased $12/head.
Shorn young lambs recorded a top price of $269, with the bulk making from $218 to $245/head. New season lambs back to the paddock sold to mixed price trends, making from $88 to $177/head.
It was a stellar yarding of mutton, with only limited supplies of lighter weight sheep offered. Most of the usual buying group were in attendance and a single major processor from the north dominated the market over heavy weight categories, with the exception of the lighter weights. Heavy mutton sold to solid demand recording a top price of $238/head for Merino ewes. Heavy crossbred ewes sold up to $230/head, averaging 567c/kg cwt. Heavy wethers sold at $164 to $233/head, averaging 635c/kg cwt. Trade and light sheep made from $68 to $160/head, with trade mutton averaging 605c/kg cwt.