Sunnybanks’ big day at the lamb market

Penguin prime ram breeder Paul Day watched with disbelief as one of his Poll Dorset lambs sold at Powranna market on Tuesday for a record $402 to the Australian Lamb Company in Colac, Victoria.

Paul breeds Poll Dorset and White Suffolk sheep under two stud names, Sunnybanks and Faraday Park, and sources the leading stud ram genetics from around the country in the never-ending quest for the best quality stock.

He said his diligence and investment paid off this week.

“I decided to take some old ewes and a few lambs to market and really never expected to achieve that price for the lambs,” he said.

“The previous record was $350 I believe so that was a big jump, even in this market.

“It’s a nice reward for a lot of effort put in over the year and we’re really chuffed.”

The record price was actually the second set that day, with a pen of 38 Poll Dorset cross lambs owned by the Wilson family of Sassafras fetching $380.

Nutrien account manager livestock Cooper Lamprey said that fat lambs continue to make good money as demand increases. 

“That lamb of Paul’s was extremely heavy and warranted a big price tag, but really everything sold extremely well,” Cooper said.

“Both heavy and lightweight mutton prices were also very strong – it’s a good time to be selling lamb in general.”

Paul’s lambs were standouts among a smaller yarding of 1869 lambs (425 less) at Powranna with the overall quality not as good as at the last sale with very few heavy pens included.

The light trade and trade lambs recovered after last week’s drop and restockers were busy on well-bred lambs.
Restockers paid $46 to $62 for very small lambs, $72 to $148 for light and $152 to $168 for light trade. 

Processors paid $160 to $184 for light trade, $240 to $292 for trade and a pen of extra heavy lambs made $380.

There was also a smaller number of 1361 mutton (824 less) and this market was similar with extra heavy sheep making $214 to $242, heavy $170 to $210, medium $130 to $182 and light $84 to $148. There was a big selection of rams with the best British bred pens making $170 to $204 and horned rams $80 to $140/head.