* 246 of 248 rams sold to $4500, av $2050
INTERSTATE buyers from South Australia, NSW and Tasmania have strongly supported Victorian stud and commercial producers, in a near total clearance of composite rams, at Cloven Hills, Nareen.
Kate and Chris Dorahy, Cloven Hills, said the sale exceeded all expectations, in terms of clearance and average price.
"Chris and I have been working very hard on getting our genetic selection right," Ms Dorahy said.
"We do a lot of genetic, and physical, selection; we are always listening to what's important for commercial clients."
The top-priced ram, Lot 13, a 2018-drop ram sired by TF-140154, went to Cashmore Oaklea co-principal Don Pegler.
The ram had a maternal carcase production index of +163.07, a birth weight of 0.7 kilograms, weaning weight of 12.7kg and post-weaning weight of 18.7kg.
It had a post-weaning fat measurement of -1.6 millimetres, a post-eye muscle depth of 0.3mm and a lean meat yield of 6 per cent.
Mr Pegler said the ram had a different bloodline to those usually used in the stud, and "a fair balance of figures".
"We use about 60 rams in our stud a year," Mr Pegler said.
"We probably try about half a dozen different rams, every year."
Ms Dorahy said she believed Cloven Hills now had some of the nation's leading composite sires.
"We have had overwhelming feedback as to how well they are performing in the paddock, for fertility, growth, carcase and hardiness," she said.
Helen Baillie, Wesley Dale, Chudleigh, Tasmania, picked up 19 rams, after buying seedstock in February.
Progeny from the ram lambs were weaned in August, which is a notoriously hard time in Tasmania.
"The stock manager phoned me and asked me to come back with rams, which could do exactly the same as what they did," Ms Baillie said.
"They had high growth and survivability rates, we have never had that kind of ram before."
Volume buyers included Bruce Laidlaw, Yat Nat, Balmoral, who took 18 rams, to a top of $1750 and an average of $1458.
Mt William Pastoral bought 17, to a top of $1500, and average of $1041.
New Tasmanian client, Connorville, Cressy, bought 12 rams, to $2500, av $2020.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
