WHILE it was freezing cold in East Trentham last Thursday at the annual Derrynock ram sale, there was plenty of heat generated from the huge crowd that gathered to bid spiritedly on a quality line up of Poll Dorset ewes and rams and meat maternal rams.
The Beattie family were thrilled with the result of the sale that involved many repeat clients and new buyers.
The sale kicked off with a dozen 2011-drop ewes with lambs at-foot and 20 2011-drop ewes that sold to a top of $600 twice, both of which were secured by Banongil pastoral Co, Skipton, averaging $445.
Tim Ferguson, Mallee Park Poll Dorsets, Hopetoun, bid throughout the ewe offering and bought two av $300, both of which had carcase+ figures in excess of 186.
Mallee Park also purchased two stud rams av $3750.
The Hewitt Family, Alderside Park, Warracknabeal, having established their Poll Dorset Stud in 2012, was chasing numbers to build up their flock and purchased six ewes to $450, while S&M Rundell, Breakaway Poll Dorsets, Condah, also bought in volume buying five ewes av $300.
The stud ram offering also saw plenty of competition with rams selling to a top of $8000, av $3304.
First-time Derrynock buyer, Simon Male, Aberdeen Poll Dorsets, Henty NSW, was attracted to the sale by the awesome figures of lot 41, which had a Post Weaning Weight of +17.3 (top 1% of Terminal Sires), Eye Muscle of +1 and carcass plus index of +201.
The ram will be used in the Aberdeen flock to maintain and improve growth rates.
The second highest-priced ram was purchased by Wrattenbullie Poll Dorsets, Naracoorte, SA, for $7250.
Having purchased a Derrynock stud sire in 2007, Wrattenbullie stud principal Rod Davies said the sheep displayed as good a Lambplan figures as anyone in the breed, and was purchased to improve figures in the Wrattenbullie flock, in particular growth figures.
The young ram carried excellent structure and hind quarter and had a good sire outlook.
Pinora Poll Dorsets, Heyfield, also purchased a ram for $6000 as did Allendale Poll Dorsets, Bordertown, SA, who purchased a ram for $5500.
The flock ram offering saw opportunities for buyers at both ends of the spectrum, with rams selling to $2000, av $1366.
Riverside Meats manager Simon Smith, Bunnaloo, NSW, was active at the top end of the sale purchasing 12 rams to $2000.
Mr Smith has been buying Derrynock rams for a number of years, and directed Riverside Meats to the sale last year having received fantastic results with last year's rams.
The rams will be used over Dohne ewes for the trade lamb market.
Mr Smith said the Derrynock rams were meaty rams with plenty of carcase, describing them as all meat.
AF Sheridan & Partners, Bengworden, also bought in volume - 12 rams av $1350 to be used over first-cross ewes.
The meat maternal ram offering rounded out the sale with 29 rams av $1010.
Yaloak Estate, Ballan, purchased nine rams ranging from a sale high $1600 back to $600, while Uondo Pastoral Co, Kerang, purchased 11 rams av $783.
Stats:
- Total clearance of 12 ewes with lambs av $445
- 15 of 20 2011-drop ewes av $306
- Total clearance of 22 stud rams to $8000, av $3304
- Total clearance of 100 flock rams av $1366
- 29 of 33 meat maternal rams av $1010
