SALE SUMMARY
2016 2015
Offered 294 280
Sold 275 246
Top $3400 $2000
Av $1134 $997
SEASON and market optimism among prime lamb breeders produced a top result for Bundara Downs White Suffolk and Poll Dorset ram sale on Friday last week at Western Flat.
In one of the state’s largest prime lamb sire offerings, Steve and Ros and Greg and Selena Funke cleared 275 of 294 rams to $3400 and averaged $1134.
A much better season than 2015 on top of continuing buoyant lamb markets and outlook culminated in a 13 per cent increase in both rams sold and average price.
Last year 246 rams averaged $997.
It was White Suffolk stud ram BD 157553 that attracted most interest, making the sale top of $3400.
The big, powerful, structurally correct ram was certainly a standout and had the figures to match, with a post weaning weight Australian Sheep Breeding Value of 17.96 combined with 2.08 eye muscle. The successful buyer of the twin born ram was Stuart Staude, Bordertown, for his Riddick stud.
Six catalogued White Suffolk stud rams averaged $2150 – up $150 on last year’s top price.
Illoura stud, Moorlands, selected BD 157127 for $2100, and Anthony Ferguson, Anna Villa stud, Weetulta, selected BD 157828 for $2000 to be the other registered stud buyers.
But it was the first of the 191 catalogued flock rams – BD 156814 – that made the sale’s $2400 second-highest price. It went to Trevor and Kath Pietsch, Bordertown, for their ram breeding flock. All other rams from both breeds went to commercial prime lamb breeders.
Ten specially-selected White Suffolk rams averaged $1680, while all 191 flock rams sold for a $1002 average. Thus there was a total clearance of 207 White Suffolks at a $1087 average.
In the 76 strong Poll Dorset offering, there was stronger commercial competition until orders were filled right near the end, with 65 of 76 averaging $1305.
PJ Leach & Sons, Mundulla, paid the $2000 top price in the Poll Dorset section for one of three select flock rams they bought at an $1867 average.
Steve DiGiorgio, Lucindale, buying through PPH&S agent Richard Harvie, selected nine Poll Dorset rams at a $1344 average, and Harlock Pastoral, Penola, took home six rams to $1600, averaging $1200. This put strong competition into the top end of the Poll Dorset offering.
But it was Ben Stark, Stark Grazing, Naracoorte, who was the dominant Poll Dorset buyer.
He bought 20 rams averaging $1425, consistently seeking out the highest performance rams on Lambplan.
Last year’s volume buyers were again prominent. Leon and Tim Schwarz, Muston Creek, Hamilton, Vic, with Landmark Hamilton’s Robert Lovell, bought 32 rams averaging $1234. In their tally were 23 White Suffolks and nine Poll Dorsets.
The top volume buyer was Bruce Creek, buying for Balquhidder Station, Parawa and KI. Through SAL’s Will Nolan, they bought 40 rams averaging $750, to put a solid floor in the market.
P&J Clark, Naracoorte, was the only other double-figured buyer, selecting 10 White Suffolks averaging $1050.
Other multiple buyers included A&M Belluzzo, Western Flat, with eight rams averaging $750, R Crouch & Co, Kanvia, Vic, with seven rams averaging $986 and TG&D Mulraney, Edenhope, Vic, with seven rams averaging $914.
For the first time, the Funke family added 11 Suffolk rams to their catalogue. Three sold at $700 each.
Elders and Southern Australian Livestock conducted the sale with Tom Penna, Ronnie Dix and Laryn Gogel the auctioneers.
