Lamb numbers eased a little to 21,420 this week at Ballarat. Quality was good, with an excellent penning of heavy and extra heavy lambs. The usual buying group attended and operated in a dearer market, with most making from $5 to $15/head up on last week. Extra heavy lambs again sold to $300/head, with 2 pens equalling the centre record. The medium trade weights made from $192 to $228/head. Feeders and restockers paid from $102 to $170/head for lambs. Light weight 2 score lambs weighing 12-18kg sold from $96 to $162/head. Light trade 2 and 3 score lambs, 18-22kg, made from $158 to $199/head to average close to 850c/kg cwt. Medium trade weight 3 and 4 score lambs weighing 22-24kg received from $192 to $228/head, varying from 810c to 920c to average close to 860c/kg cwt. Heavy 3 to 4 score trade weight lambs weighing 24-26 kg sold from $213 to $246/head to average approximately 855c/kg cwt. Heavy export lambs, 30kg plus, sold from $250 to $300/head to average close to 700c/kg cwt. Crossbred hoggets sold from $143 to $205 and Merino hoggets received from $123 to $144/head. The sheep yarding of 10,001 was up on last week, with quality varying from plain to very good. The usual buying group operated, with urgency to obtain their supplies. Heavy crossbred wethers reached $271, as heavy crossbred ewes reached $256, while heavy Merino wethers topped at $262/head. The general run of sheep sold from firm to $10 dearer, with heavy sheep out to $20/head up on last week and more at times. Light weight 1 and 2 score sheep made from $82 to $114/head to an average of 550c/kg cwt. Very light 1 scores sold from $12 to $88/head. Medium weight 2 and 3 score sheep received from $104 to $163/head, varying from 505c to 660c.

SHORN LAMBS

178, Carlisle Farms, Dean, $300.00

190, KP Maher & Sons, Springbank, $294.00

104, I & M Slater, Bullarook, $291.00

69, KM Toohey, Springbank, $290.00

70, Guthrie Farms, Bullarook, $288.00

155, CN & ME Frawley, Leigh Creek, $287.00

21, E & M Boyer, Weering, $284.50

79, AN & AG Gervasoni, Kooroocheang, $280.00

163, TG, LF & DL Dean, Ascot $280.00

33, R & K McDonald, Meredith, $279.00

113, James Sobey, Blowhard, $278.00

43, Slater Farming, Corack, $278.00

99, B & M Maher & Sons, Springbank, $271.00

93, Mansa Holdings, Casterton, $271.00

47, Fraser Partners Bo Peep, $270.00

57, M & C Mullane, Ballan, $270.00

115, Quinlan Farming, Springbank, $263.00

51, Kielambete, Terang, $260.00

38, G & L Price P/L, Willaura, $260.00

59, Glenore Poll Dorset Stud, Carisbrook, $255.00

92, MT & CL Hanrahan, Mollongghip, $254.00

53, MJ Fisher, Glen Brae, $250.00

26, I & R Thomas, Ascot, $250.00

65, Y. Y Poora, Yalla-Y- Poora, $246.00

24, Englewood Park, Inverleigh, $240.00

26, LT Rowe, Sutherlands Creek, $239.00

96, Harwood Grains, Ballarat, $237.00

66, PJ Ipsen & Sons, Bowenvale, $232.00

68, C Goldsworthy Trust, Mortlake, $232.00

93, Clark & Maddern, Dean, $229.00

544, Stoney Point, Darlington, $228.00

77, BT & CL Roughead, Bung Bong, $228.00

85, Tenira Noms, Vite Vite, $228.00

61, RC Alexander, Ballyrogan, $225.00

80, Windermere Oil Feeds, Windermere, $224.00

84, Shaw Pastoral, Newry, $222.00

23, JH & JL Wardlaw, Woorndoo, $220.00

36, Tambo Holdings, Streatham, $220.00

44, SL Higgins, Dawson, $220.00

38, C & D Brady, Beaufort, $220.00

24, Mrs J Middleton, Meredith, $220.00

85, DSJ Agri, Maryborough, $219.00

34, EJ & WJ Wardlaw, Woorndoo, $218.00

62, G & S Hives, Kingston, $218.00

28, T & M Cook, Lismore, $218.00

26, Yalat P/L, Tatyoon, $216.00

51, RJ & M Maes, Timor West, $216.00

56, Turner Partnership, Bindi, $215.50

34, PR & EP Muir, Myrniong, $215.00

29, DG Rowe & Sons, Bannockburn, $213.00

51, Maxray Noms, Meeniyan, $213.00

16, Major Court, Carisbrook, $208.00

97, SJ & CJ Jardine, Carisbrook, $201.00

20, Kingoonya Pastoral Co, Birregurra, $192.00

51, Palara Agri, Derrinallum, $192.00

16, Turnberry Partnership, Winchelsea, $188.00

XBRED SHEEP

20, W & C Raabe, Kandella Sth, $256.00

11, Palara Agri, Derrinallum, $256.00

61, Fiery Creek Farm, Streatham, $245.00

20, V & R Dawson, Skipton, $242.00

14, T Keating, Werneth, $240.00

90, J & L Allen, Newlyn, $240.00

48, L & L Ritchie, Nerrin Nerrin, $230.00

92, Dweal P/L, Tatyoon, $230.00

20, Rowallan Lodge, Burrumbeet, $230.00

55, Tarnawa Pastoral, Skipton, $228.00

40, CP Smith, Derrinallum, $220.00

50, Poligolet Holdings, Derrinallum, $218.00

16, EJ & SA Sharkey, Balliang East, $215.00

21, Elephant Nth, Derrinallum, $215.00

17, Fraser Partners Bo Peep, $213.00

48, LL & HM Chibnall, Ascot, $200.00

38, St Enochs Trust, Stockyard Hill, $194.00

39, EG & SJ Lewis, Werneth, $121.00

MERINO EWES

33, CA Hampel & Partners, Loxton, $230.00

81, AM Calvert, Mortlake, $176.00

38, Jarl Agri, Cross Roads, $159.00

19, M Wallis, Inverloch, $154.00

118, EW Hayward & Sons, Burrumbeet, $146.00

22, Yaltat P/L, Tatyoon, $143.00

15, T & M Cook, Lismore, $134.00

22, G & L Gellert, $131.00

MERINO WETHERS

80, AJ Trigg, Bungaree, $262.00

47, BH Tuddenham, Haddon, $244.00

27, CA Hampel & Partners, Loxton, $217.00

65, FA Read, Carranballac, $190.00

277, Higgins Pastoral, Wickliffe, $133.00

390, Boortkoi, Hexham, $121.00

May 20. Yarding: 302. Change: 7.

Cattle numbers were similar at Ballarat, with 302 head yarded. Quality varied from plain to good in places. The usual buying group attended and operated in a firm to dearer market. Better presented vealers and yearlings sold 10c/kg dearer to the trade, as feeders and restockers paid to 280c for LW steer vealers, with most sales on better bred young cattle 5c to 10c/kg up on last week. Grown steers eased 5c in places and sold to 273c, as grown heifers eased to 10c/kg in places on a plainer run. Cows improved from 5c to 20c and sold to 240c/kg for better presented C3 and C4 grades. Numbers comprised 94 cows, 96 steers, 83 heifers and 29 bulls. Vealers sold to the trade from 222c to 280c, plainer light weights sold from 128c to 150c, feeders and restockers paid from 196c to 280c, plainer lots made from 70c to 150c/kg. Yearlings sold to the trade from 214c to 243c, as feeders mostly paid from 165c to 225c/kg. Grown steers sold from 208c to 273c for light weights, as medium weights made from 225c to 266c for C and D muscle steers, while restockers paid to 180c/kg. Medium weight grown heifers sold from 203c to 239c, as plainer types made from 138c to 174c/kg. Heavier weights received from 180c to 239c/kg. Manufacturing dairy bred steers sold at 147c for light weights, as heavier lots sold at 156c/kg. Restockers paid from 121c to 139c/kg. Heavy C muscle 3 and 4 score cows sold from 190c to 240c, as the C2 grades made from 178c to 189c, with B muscle cows making from 160c to 189c/kg. The D2 and D3 score cows sold from 170c to 183c/kg.

Cattle, Monday

1 TB White & Sons Pty Ltd; 2 Charles Stewart; 3 HF Richardson; 4 Elders Ltd; 5 Landmark

Sheep, Tuesday

1 TB White & Sons Pty Ltd; 2 Charles Stewart; 3 HF Richardson; 4 Elders Ltd; 5 Landmark