Lambpro, Holbrook ram salbuilde 2021 breaks records

One of Australia’s leading studs has sold more than 1300 rams and grossed a whopping $5.3m. The sale attracted over 2400 online bids.

Buyers chasing marbling in their rams pushed prices to a new average and gross record at the Lambpro ram sale last week.

Lambpro, run by the Bull family near Holbrook in NSW, sold 1366 terminal and maternal rams across two days last week for a gross of $5.3 million.

After producing the biggest ever single vendor stud result of nearly $4 million last year, the stud exceeded that price by more than $1.3 million this year, setting a new highest gross record for the stud.

However, Lambpro’s title for the highest grossing single vendor stud stock sale in Australia was beaten in September by the Tattykeel Australian White sale which grossed $5.6 million.

In the sale breakdown Lambpro sold 1045 Primeline Maternal rams for an average of $4561 — an increase of $648 on last year’s average for 903 rams sold — and a top of $17,000.

The stud also sold 65 HampshireFX rams for an average of $1277 and top of $3000, 170 Poll Dorset rams for an average of $1726 and top of $3500, as well as 86 Tradie ram for an average of $1907 and top of $4000.

Lambpro rams sold for a gross of $5.3 million.

Lambpro principal Tom Bull said it was the biggest volume of rams they have sold at their auction and the biggest average they’ve recorded.

“It was a really strong sale and it comes down to overall confidence in lamb,” Mr Bull said.

“A lot of our clients are selling ewe lambs for $300 off Mum, so when you look at that they are generating a lot of revenue,” he said.

And despite the record stud average Mr Bull said about 350 rams across the two days sold for between $1000 to $1500, giving buyers plenty of “opportunity”.

After already increasing their numbers by about 150 this year and 300 last year, Mr Bull said they would continue to grow and would aim to sell 1600 at the sale next year.

“We sell thousands of rams in the paddock, but we’ve got a young, data driven team and will aim to probably sell 1600 next year,” he said.

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Mr Bull said one noticeable trend in the sale was the bigger focus on marbling when selecting rams.

“It takes seven years to change the maternal flock for marbling, so rams producers buy this year will still have daughters in their flocks in 2030 and our clients are educated on this and willing to pay for marbling.”

With a live site set up at Naracoorte to cater for South Australian buyers who couldn’t cross the border due to Covid-19 restrictions, the sale was exceptionally strong on AuctionsPlus.

There were 78 registered buyers on AuctionsPlus and 34 bidders placed 2448 bids across 612 different lots and of which 142 lots sold to online purchases.

Major buyers included Thomas Foods International which purchased about 30 rams and the McGinty family from Apsley purchased 60 rams.