A quick drop-in three weeks ago by top priced buyer Dugald McIndoe, Smithston Poll Dorset and White Suffolk stud, Glencoe, proved a winner at last week’s annual Kurralea Poll Dorset and White Suffolk sale, after he took home both the top priced rams.
Mr McIndoe visited Kurralea on his way home from the Australasian Dorset Championships in Bendigo three weeks ago. After he drove past and fell in love with both rams, he thought it best to come back and buy them.
That decision saw the Prentice family record tops of $15,000 for their top Poll Dorset ram and $17,000 for the top White Suffolk ram across the stud section.
In the wrap up, 22 Poll Dorset stud rams topped at $15,000 to average $2830, with the flock portion seeing 101 top at $1200 and average $1048, while 17 White Suffolk stud rams topped the day at $17,000 to average $3059. There were 91 White Suffolk flock rams, which topped at $1500 to average and six Suffolk rams topping at $1600 and averaging $1000.
The top ram on the day was a son of the $68,000 Anden Cruiser sire, with a post weaning weight of 17.1, combined with a carcase plus index of +206.
Mr McIndoe said the ram had so much power and presence and offered them an out-cross in their stud.
“I saw him in May and have followed his presence ever since,” he said.
The top Poll Dorset stud ram Kurralea 511-17, was also purchased by Mr McIndoe for $15,000, who had a PWWT of 15.9, carcase plus of +197 at 135 kilograms.
Mr McIndoe said he had bought 65 Poll Dorset stud ewes off Kurralea earlier in the year to start the foundation of a Poll Dorset stud.
When he dropped in and saw the ram three weeks ago, he had to come back and buy him as his foundation sire, along with two other Poll Dorset rams at $1500 and $4250.
“He has balance, muscle and softness and is the best Poll Dorset ram I have seen for quite a while,” he said.
Simon and Melissa Male, Aberdeen Poll Dorsets, Henty, led the sale off buying the 132kg, Kurralea 501-17, by the Kurralea K037-15 sire with a CP figure of +206 for $5000.
Simon Male said he loved the big upstanding presence of the ram with plenty of length that also offered an out-cross opportunity for their stud.
“He has good growth figures to match our stud, with good muscle to go with it and great feet and structure,” he said.
Ian and Brayden Gilmore, Baringa White Suffolks, Oberon, lost out on the top White Suffolk ram, but secured the very next lot, an Anden Cruiser son also for $3000, before snapping up Kurralea 622-17 for $4500.
Mr Gilmore said the top ram he missed was a ram capable of producing at the top end, but the Cruiser son he purchased was not far behind him.
He said the figures on both rams matched the physical attributes they were looking for.
The Sammon Brothers, Bungeet, Victoria, purchased three Poll Dorset stud rams averaging $2417, while Conapaira White Suffolks, Rankin Springs, took two white rams home at $4000 and $3250 and Roger Honner, Marrar, paid $4750 and $5250 for two Poll Dorset stud rams.
Jill Baldwin and Rick Mattiske, Geraldra, Stockinbingal, set a solid floor price for Poll Dorset rams securing 19 at a $1213 average to put over Rick’s first cross ewes.
Mr Mattiske said they had been buying at Kurralea for around five years and the rams were doing extremely well with 90 per cent of the lambs having the ability to be sold straight off their mother in the past two years. combined with great success selling over the hooks at heavy to export weights.
Australian Food and Agriculture livestock general manager Justin Campbell again set the pace on the flock rams buying 49 Poll Dorset rams to average $1071, along with 40 White Suffolk rams at $760 apiece.
Mr Campbell said he was looking for rams that were not as long in length, but had more muscling and depth, with good weights to join to their 20,000 classed out second ewes.
“In the last few years these rams have allowed us to get our lambs off mum and sell them straight to Coles and TFI via forward contracts,” he said.
Other buyers on the day included the Ziems Brothers, Young, who secured four Poll Dorset rams at $1050, three White Suffolk rams at $833 and two Suffolk rams to a top of $1600, while Lake Repose Partnership, Glenthompson, Vic, purchased nine White Suffolk rams at $922, Ravenstone Pastoral Company, Wagga, bought 16 White rams to average $931 and W and L Ramsey, Wilga Hill, Condobolin, loaded four Poll Dorsets at $1000 and six White Suffolks at $1392.
The sale was conducted by Elders Joe Wilks and Michael Glasser, GTSM, as auctioneers.
Brett Tindal
National Livestock Manager for ACM Agri. 22 years experience in the Livestock Media industry. Media, Marketing, Photography, Videography and Livestream
National Livestock Manager for ACM Agri. 22 years experience in the Livestock Media industry. Media, Marketing, Photography, Videography and Livestream
