CHANDPARA
80 Southdown rams and ewes, total clearance, highest price $5000, av $990.
BUYERS from four states have taken home rams from the annual Chandpara, Tylden, Southdown sale, paying a top price of $5000 for one animal.
The highest priced ram, tag 148, was jointly purchased by Tim Fincham, of the Burando stud at Winchelsea and the South Glynde stud, at Naracoorte, South Australia.
Dropped in July, 2013, it weighed 77kg, had a fat score of six, an EMD of 42, EMW of 81 and EMA of 26.2.
It was awarded second prize in this year’s Under One and a Half Years section in the National Sheep Show.
It is also a full brother to the champion ewe at this year’s Sheep Show and nationals.
The syndicate also paid $4100 for number 153, which won best yearling ram in this year’s National Show.
“They were both purchased in a syndicate, for length, structural correctness and balance, in a nutshell,” Mr Fincham said.
“They are twins and very well balanced sheep.”
There was an increasing market for Southdowns, with processors and producers seeking them out.
“They are what they are worth - they could get more expensive, as the years go on, because Southdowns are just starting to hit their straps again,” Mr Fincham said.
Chandpara ewes averaged $483, with the highest sale of $820 to Alby Fitz of Landmark, Kyneton.
Buyers from Carrick, Tasmania, Goulburn, NSW and Naracoorte, South Australia, were among those who took both rams and ewes.
Goulburn’s Connen Hill was one of the volume buyers at the sale.
Auctioneer, Landmark Dwyer’s Greg Dwyer, from Kyneton, said the total clearance was down to the high quality of the sheep on offer.
“The season in the local area has been fantastic, the sale is a month earlier than last year but the sheep still presented in fantastic condition and order,” Mr Dwyer said.
“It’s a better sale than what we expected, it just shows just what is going on with the fat lamb industry and where it’s headed.”
John Southgate and Dee Nolan from South Glynde said they would be using the Chandpara rams to help boost the stud they were establishing, in South Australia.
“We think they are a great breed, fundamental to the whole sheep breeding business, they are fantastic, they are calm, they are a reasonable size and we just like ‘em,” Mr Southgate said.
The stud was named after the town in which the breed was first developed, in the 1700’s, Glynde, at the foot of the Sussex Downs, in England.
Stud principal Andrew Sellars-Jones said there was strong bidding for all lots on offer.
“It’s a good testimony to what I am doing, I think I am on the right track.”
“Southdown is a very old breed and the beauty of that is we have got pure bred bloodlines going back, many, many decades and they absolutely breed so true, so when you buy a Southdown ram, you know you are going to get a beautiful line of lambs.”
“They are early maturing, you can turn them off quickly, they are robust, beautifully muscled and beautifully tasting.”
