STUD and commercial buyers competed strongly on a very even line of sheep with elite performance figures at the Derrynock Poll Dorset ram sale at East Trentham recently.
A large crowd witnessed Derrynock 103/13 sold for $14,000 to South Australian Poll Dorset stud breeders, Robert and Lachlan Hart, Glen Devon, Two Wells.
Robert Hart said the ram was extremely deep and correct with a great balance of performance and style.
"It was a beautiful sound, even ram and had excellent muscle," he said.
It was the fourth ram Mr Hart had bought from Derrynock over the past 10 years.
Other leading stud rams sold to D Coats, Donald, for $12,000; Allendale stud, Bordertown, SA, for $8500; M Burzacott, SA, for $8000 and $5500; Deloraine Downs stud, Coleraine, for $7000; and Tipperary stud, WA, for $5250.
The stud rams sold had LambPlan breeding values that averaged in excess of +15 for PWWT, +2 for PEMD and 200 for the CarcasePlus index.
The 23 stud rams sold averaged $4000 - making it one of the stud's best stud ram sale results ever.
In the flock ram section, both repeat and new clients were particularly keen to secure rams with early maturing genetics and extra length of carcase.
Many rams were also purchased with moderate birthweight and shorter gestation length for maiden ewes.
The flock rams offered had a LambPlan CarcasePlus index average of 195 per cent.
Most of the flock rams sold from $1000 to $1500, resulting in all 109 rams sold av $1320.
The 35 Meat Maternal rams sold to strong competition, reflecting the benefits of the extra growth, carcase and milking ability producers are obtaining from these rams.
They also achieved a total clearance, av $925.
Derrynock stud principal Simon Beattie said it was an excellent result.
"We were worried about the season, but it seems the rams are doing the job," he said.
"We have put a lot of effort into the performance figures and we will continue to work at it and aim for that higher growth, while keeping that structure.
Elders auctioneer Brendan Coxon said the sale was successful largely because of its even line throughout.
"They were really structurally sounds sheep," he said.
"To achieve a near clearance at a big sale with 189 lots is a great result. They had stud buyers who wanted the top rams and still had plenty of flock rams for the commercial guys, it was a great sale."
