Spring ram sales: All the prices and averages
Derrynock Poll Dorset had a strong clearance and rate at their ram sale with the top price hitting $12,500. See our rolling coverage of spring sales.
Stud and commercial buyers are chasing Poll Dorsets for fast growth and quality performance, as an East Trentham stud says people are moving away from composite rams.
Derrynock Poll Dorset offered 246 lots across its pick of the pen sale on Thursday, with a total clearance across its stud and flock rams.
It sold 16 of 29 ewes to a top price of $800, averaging $530, and 68 of 76 maternal composite rams to $2400, averaging $1350.
It had a total clearance of 21 Poll Dorset stud rams to $12,500, averaging $6500, and its 116 Poll Dorset flock rams to $3500, averaging $1800.
Mullinger Park, of Naracoorte, SA, bought the top-priced ram, Lot 56. It had a birth weight of 0.39kg, weaning weight of 13kg, and post-weaning weight of 20.1kg, -0.9 IMF and 3.1 PEMD.
Derrynock Poll Dorset stud co-principal Simon Beattie said the composite had been tough and people were avoiding breeding extra ewes, but Dorsets were selling strongly.
“We knew the Dorsets would be strong, there’s a lot of demand for them. With the seasonal conditions there seems to be a real focus on getting lambs to grow as fast as possible, and getting them right,” he said.
“There’s been a real push towards that away from using a composite ram.”
He said they were focused on improving performance figures while maintaining structure, length, good skin, and good, early maturing.
Gartlee Poll Dorset adviser Laurie Thompson, who previously owned the stud, said the job had “its ups and downs” but he believed the future for the lamb industry was strong.
Gartlee Poll Dorset bought Lot 41.
“We have a seasonal problem now which isn’t helping, it’s dry in lots of places, but long-term it should be all right,” he said.
Pinevite Poll Dorset stud principal Lila Sharrock manages 120 stud ewes at Vite Vite, breeding for flock ram purposes but they hoped to expand their stud. Ms Sharrock said she started the stud in 2020.
She said this year’s lambing was successful, and she believed the market would pick up.
“We have a fat lamb portion at home, we have found this year will be a struggle with that aspect, getting sucker lambs up to weight. Prices so far seem reflective of the quality so hopefully we’ll be okay, and the stud Dorset job is going well so far,” she said.
The ram, Lot 38, sold for $5500.
“He’ll go straight into the stud, he’ll go out with ewes in about six months’ time,” she said.
“We were looking for a ram with a lot of scope, thick bone, eye muscle, a bit shorter this year, we wanted something shorter in length.”
They had previously bought a ewe portion from Derrynock, and first started purchasing from the stud in their 2020 drop.
“We really like their bloodlines and the way they perform so we wanted to stick with it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Derrynock also helped raise $2200 from its Lot 200 sale, which went to Margaret House Refuge. It creates safe accommodation for families facing domestic violence.
Margaret House Refuge president Anna Hayes, of Young, NSW, said the money would go to repairs and any expenses needed for the organisation.
“People just see the good in what we do. Every cent raised goes directly towards finding more accommodation or maintaining accommodation,” she said.
Deepdale Dorpers
Deepdale Dorpers has recorded a new sale average for the breed at their second annual sale.
The stud, based at Merrinee, sold 137 Dorpers and White Dorpers for a total clearance, for an average of $6201 and top of $16,500 for a Dorper and $15,000 for a White Dorper.
This compares to last year’s average of $3001.
The average is believed to be the highest average recorded for a Dorper and White Dorper sale in Australia.
Both top priced rams sold to Melashdan Dorper and White Dorper stud, Tumby Bay, South Australia.
The $15,000 White Dorper ram, Deepdale 230744, was sired by Trump Burrawang WD, the ram Deepdale purchased for $62,000 in 2022. The ram was 15 months old and weighed 104kg.
The $16,500 Dorper ram, Deepdale 230368, was sired by Babushka Burrawang Dorper 210659, was 13 months old and weighed 101kg.
In the breakdown, the Dorpers sold for an average of $6227 and the White Dorpes averaged $6175.
Meanwhile, rams sold to an almost complete clearance at the Gemini Prime Lamb Sires White Suffolk ram sale at Werneth on Monday.
In the sale breakdown 93 rams sold from 101 offered for a 92 per cent clearance, to a top of $3600 and an average of $1584.
The top ram sold to Western Australia and was in the top 5 per cent of the breed for weaning weight, post weaning weight and terminal carcass production.
Gemini stud principal Craig Mitchell said it was a really good result considering where the season has been.
“The outlook for lambs is exceptional, so the industry is looking positive,” Craig said.
“I think the rams represented good value,” Craig said.
Two rams sold to Western Australia, some into South Australia and others throughout Victoria.
“We are happy with that and grateful for the support.”
“It’s been a very challenging season as most in the Western District have found with lack of rain and a lot of supplementary feeding.”
August 29, 2024:
Commission buyers are chasing fleece weight and data variety at the start of the spring ram sale season, as producers see market opportunity in lambs.
Willera Poll Merino stud operations manager Simon Coutts said prices were strong and rams presented well at the stud’s sixth on-property sale on Friday, with enough data and quality in the flesh to back the rams.
“But the passing rates we’ll need to look at and see if there’s any correlation,” he said.
“Spring is going to be a big determining factor in how people approach sheep.”
The sale cleared 132 of 172 Merino rams to a top price of $6500 and average of $2217.
In 2023 they cleared 153 of 177 rams to $5000 with an average of $2426.
Top-priced buyer and Farmers Leap livestock manager Jo Roper bought five rams for a new self-replacing Merino program at Padthaway, SA.
“This is our third year, our first drop was last year and we’re chasing the figures to go over that first drop,” she said.
Ms Roper said they were focused on dropping micron, retaining fat and eye muscle, and maintaining fleece weight to shear every six months. The 4000ha property doubles as a cellar door and onion farm.
She said the top-priced ram, Lot 113, had “all the traits”.
Its Australian Sheep Breeding Values had several in the top 20 per cent, including 9.02 adult weight, 2.51 yearling eye muscle depth, 0.52 yearling fat depth, 28.74 yearling clean fleece weight, 15.48 yearling staple length and -1.95 yearling fibre diameter.
“I think the market is looking positive for our lambs coming into this season, we’ve worked pretty hard and have been feeding for a long time,” Ms Roper said.
She said she had finished buying Merino rams for the season, and would turn her focus to terminal sires and Border Leicesters.
Mr Coutts said they were one solid rain from a decent spring, and were better-placed than regions across South Australia and western Victoria.
“Sometimes the passing rates disappoint me not for the fact we’re not getting rid of the rams, but if people hold off buying genetics, it can affect them down the track,” Mr Coutts said.
“We saw some heavy carcass ones through the sale that were passed in or made $1500, but that’s where our bread and butter is, in the meat job.”
Lal Lal Mawollock managers Ann and Andrew Welsh, Beaufort, said they were chasing two types of sheep, with yearling fleece weight, adult fleece weight and positive eye muscle area. They lamb about 10,000 ewes annually.
They bought 31 rams, but said they missed out on two of the top-priced rams they’d hoped to secure.
“We have our main wool-growing flock, and our seconds go to a meat ram,” Ms Welsh said.
“We’re happy. We’re just after our annual needs.”
Other volume buyers included Glenera Pastoral Co with 11 rams, and Ben Nevis Farms, Langley and Glen Brae Pastoral Co, which each bought five rams.
Meanwhile, early spring ram sales in South Australia have produced a mixed bag.
One of the strongest recent results has been Rice’s Creek Poll Merino ram sale held at Tintinara last week, where all 214 rams offered sold to an average of $1863.
But most SA ram sales, to date, have not recorded complete clearances as much of the South East battles the same dearth of rainfall as western Victoria.
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