*Total clearance of 75 Dorper rams sold to $15,000, av $5587
*Total clearance of 40 White Dorper rams sold to $14,000, av $5350
*Total clearance of 55 ewes sold to $4800, av $2472
A LARGE crowd flocked to the Dell African Dumisa sale from as far as Emerald, Queensland, to see 115 Dorper and White Dorper rams offered and sold at averages well above 2021 levels.
The sale at Fairfield Farm, Moama, NSW, was the 11th on-property auction for the stud operated by the Niekerk and Vagg families.
The sale highlight was the average achieved with the 75 Dorper rams which averaged $5587 compared with $4405 in 2021, an increase of $1182.
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The White Dorper offering of 40 rams sold to an increased average of $5350, a rise of $810 compared to 2021.
Ben Crozier, Bellvale Station and Mount Kew, Wilcannia, NSW, bought the $15,000 top-priced ram as part of a draft of 12 rams to average $6292.
The June 2021-drop ram, Dell 210549, was sired by Dell Dorpers 190746 Dynamite, weighed 97.5 kilograms and had an eye muscle depth of 47 millimetres and fat depth of 12mm.
Mr Crozier said his operation included 3500 Dorper ewes and 1500 White Dorpers.
He said he started with Black Dorper ewes and introduced White Dorpers after a "bad drought" in 2017 to help speed up the restocking process.
"The Black Dorper seems to go a bit better when it's dry, but when it's on equal feed they both look great," Mr Crozier said.
He said this was the third year in a row for incredible seasons in NSW.
Mr Crozier said the top-priced ram had depth, length and carried his weight well.
"He's very good at shedding and I can't wait to get him home and put him with our ewes," he said.
"He's good on his feet which is important in our operation."
Mr Crozier and his partner, Nicol Wright, have selected a premium group of ewes for the ram.
"It's an incredible line of ewes and they deserve a great ram," he said.
Also selling to Croziers was Dell 210141, also a type five ram, for $9000, which weighed 97kg, had an EMD of 48mm and fat depth of 9mm.
The $14,000 top-priced White Dorper, Dumisa 210221, sold to Top Waterloo Pastoral, Walcha, NSW, via an online AuctionsPlus bid.
The April 2021-drop ram was by Belowrie 190006 Bentley, weighed 100kg and had a 49mm EMD and 8mm of fat.
Peter Cheal, Nogoa stud, Emerald, Qld, paid $13,000 for the 93kg Dorper ram, Dell 210757, which had a 46mm EMD and 9mm fat depth.
He made the 2000 kilometre trip because he thought there was a large selection of suitable rams in NSW.
"Our business is paddock-to-plate selling meat in Emerald and Rockhampton, Qld," he said.
"People are lined up for the Dorper meat."
The ram would be rotated through 120 ewes to get a better ewe base.
"He had meat in the right places and good fat cover which is critical for our business."
Mr Cheal only started the Dorper operation four years ago after being a builder for 35 years.
The ewe flock was founded on the purchase of 200 ewes from Winrae Dorpers while the flock runs under two solar farms.
"We have just added to them where we can but the biggest thing is finding sheep in the area," he said.
"They are on mainly buffel grass but we are also looking to improve the pasture."
Dell African Dumisa stud manager Andrea Vagg said she did not expect the high prices or such a good sale.
"We knew our rams and ewes had held up really well during the wet weather which is a real positive for our breeding because we know we are heading in the right direction with our feet and legs," Ms Vagg said.
Ms Vagg said buyers came from a wide area, looking for rams with good meat and muscling as well as balance.
"The Dorpers could fit in anywhere where there was good feed, good water and good fences," she said.
Ms Vagg said they would continue to work on improving structure and conformation.
She said they had been successful at shows this year and took out both the supreme Dorper ewe and White Dorper ewes at the breed's national show in Dubbo.
"Ewes have always been our bread and butter - if you have good ewes you are three quarters of the way there," she said.
Chelmer Pastoral Co, Thallon, Qld, paid $11,000 for White Dorper, African 210088, which weighed 94.5kg with a 45mm EMD and 6.5mm of fat, and also bought African 210214 for $8500.
DL and MF Old, Belvedere, Bourke, NSW, paid $10,500 for Dell 210061, a Dorper ram that weighed 115kg, with a 50mm EMD and 9.5mm of fat and took home a total of seven rams at an average of $6214
Dell 210537, a type five ram, went for $9000 to an online bid to Pandurra Pastoral, Port Augusta, SA, one of a draft of four ram to that account to average $6750.
Thomas Unit Trust, Ivanhoe, NSW, bought a draft of 15 rams including Dell 210113, a type five ram, for $8000, to average $5233.
Other volume buyers included Cootnite Pastoral, Murgha, Deniliquin, NSW, which bought 13 rams to a top of $6000, to average $4692 and Bertangles Partnership, Hay, NSW, which bought eight rams to a top of $5000 on four occasions to average $4437
PG Lawrence, Jerilderie, NSW, bought seven to a top of $4500 to average $4142.
Major ewe buyers were Justin and Julie McClure, Kallara Station, Tilpa, NSW, paying to a top price of $4800 for lot 140, Dell 210725, a July 2021-drop type five ewe.
The McClures bought 11 ewes in total to average $3327.
