Stirling's repeat clients help with total clearance

Stirling Dohne stud, Glenthompson, principal Murray Rogerson says long-term, repeat buyers remain the backbone of his operation.

While he attracted no new clients to this year's sale, which saw Ben Coad, Cressy buying the top-priced ram for $3250, Mr Rogerson said long-term buyers picked up more than half of the draft.

"It's been a really tough run but all the clients coming back means there is enough stability to continue for longer - and even grow," Mr Rogerson said.

The stud had been concentrating heavily on foot trim score and wool, which was evident in the prices.

"The co-relationship between foot trim score and price was the strongest for any trait I have seen in my 20 years of stud Dohne breeding, rising by an average of 30 per cent," Mr Rogerson said.

That resulted in a $1000 average for heavy trim and $2175 for zero trim.

"The really important thing is feet," Mr Rogerson said.

"Producers are buying on foot score, it's been a real problem with the Dohnes."

Read more: Stirling sells Dohnes to three states

The top-priced ram was by former Australian Sheep & Wool Show reserve champion ST140079.

The sire features in the Jigsaw Farms interim Balmoral Sire Evaluation trial results for first for progeny and rating highly for both post-weaning weight and yearling worm egg count.

The top-seller, an August 2020-drop ram, had a post-weaning weight of 2.97 kilograms, a post-weaning eye muscle depth of 0.96 millimetres, post-weaning fat of -0.25mm and yearling clean fleece weight of 13.52 per cent.

The ram had a yearling fibre diameter of -0.04 microns and a yearling fibre diameter co-efficient of variation of -0.32pc.

His Dohne Plus Index was 154.78.

Mr Rogerson said he had also been concentrating on wool, which he said was 'magnificent.'

"'The wool for a Dohne looks as good as Merino wool, so we have basically caught up to the Merinos," he said.

"There has been a lot of improvement in the wool but I suppose what is bringing them bck is foot score."

Mr Rogerson said most of this year's buyers would have been purchasing rams from the stud for between four and five years.

Y Worry, Cavendish picked up five rams, while Coad Pastoral, Swamp Pastoral, Millicent, SA and the Ballantrae Partnership, Glenthompson, picked up four each.

Rams went to Tasmania, South Australia and within Victoria, including Gippsland.

The buyer of the top-priced ram, Ben Coad, said he had been with Stirling for many years.

"He was just a good all-round ram for meat, wool and feet - I thought he was very sound," he said.

He said he was running a self-replacing Dohne Merino flock.

"We have found the rams pretty good,, we are getting good money for our wool.

"It's all non-mulesed and I think that is making a difference, I think the buyers are definitely looking for it."