*26 of 32 Poll Dorset rams sell to $2000, av $1263
*39 of 63 Southdown rams sold to $1850, av $1228
A special Poll Dorset ram has sold to a sale-top of $2000 at the 22nd annual Yentrac sale at Burrumbeet.
Wednesday's on-property sale near Waubra, will be the final sale at the venue as the farm has been sold.
Yentrac Prime Lamb Sires stud principal Rob McCarthy said the plans for a future southern sale for the Tatura-based stud were yet to be finalised, but information would come out when a decision was made.
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Top-priced Poll Dorset was a special Lot 1 purchased by Joyous Wolves, Tattyoon.
The ram was 177/21 with an eye muscle area of 32.57 square millimetres and birth weight of 5.8kg.
He was sired by Springwaters 70/18.
The sire was purchased for top price at the Springwaters sale and had been used as a ram lamb.
The same purchaser also paid $1000 for lots 6, 17 and 28.
Agent representative, Elders Ararat agent Nicholas Kelson said the buyer was keen to top up with a couple more rams this year after previously purchasing from Yentrac.
JM & DC Moss, Ararat, purchased four Poll Dorset rams to a top price of $1900 for Lot 17, 186/21, with an EMA of 27.97 and BW of 6kg.
The same buyer earlier paid $1500 for Lot 7, 170/21, with an EMA of 22.38.
The top-priced Southdown was Lot 36, tag 680/21, a twin at $1850.
The ram was bought by A & R Everett, Wallinduc, near Lismore, and had an EMA of 38.07, length of 103mm and depth of 48mm with a fat depth of 8mm.
The same buyer paid $1500 for Lot 36 and $1000 for Lot 44.
Jarrod Dubignon, Ararat, was buying for himself and looking for Southdown rams to join to Merino ewes he had purchased as scanned-in-lamb ewes.
He also had some ewe lambs that would be joined to the Southdown along with seven stud ewes run by his son, Chayse.
"My son's only 10 but he enjoys doing it, and that's why I went for the better ram to get him started," he said.
"I sell early and don't worry about fattening them, just get them on the ground and get them off in eight to 12 weeks and let someone else finish them."
He paid $1800 for Lot 39, tag 679/21 which had a 36.55 EMA, length of 101mm and depth of 47mm.
The ram was first in the woolly pair class at the 2022 Australian Sheep & Wool Show.
R McKinnon, Wallinduc, bought five Southdown rams to a top of $1750.
The top ram was Lot 37, tag 674/21, sired by Fairbank 580/12 with an EMA of 34.71, width of 98cm, depth of 47cm and fat of 7.5mm
Lot 34 and 35 went for $1750 each and were bought by P & J Fraser, Ararat.
Lot 34, tag 698/21, was a twin by Yentrac 716/19, with an EMA of 40.04. Lot 35 was 696/21 also a twin by 716/19 and an EMA of 43.65.
The same buyer also paid $1200 each for lots 58 and 60.
Nutrien Ballarat livestock agent Ned Balharrie purchased five rams to a top of $1600 for a Poll Dorset and $1400 for a Southdown.
Other volume buyers included DJ & AL Broidy with four Poll Dorset rams to $1600 (twice) and T & L Richardson with four Southdowns to $1500.
Mr McCartney said the rams were brought down from Tatura and presented well despite the wet weather.
The sale was a little bit down on what they hoped for including a fall in interest from stud breeders, he said.
"The Southdowns are well known for their ease of lambing and are a much safer bet over ewe lambs and weaners," he said.
"They are also being used over composite ewes where producers are chasing a jacket with a tighter skin."
Mr McCartney said they were uncertain about the southern sale in the future.
