*Total clearance of 71 rams to $3000, av $2340
A Poll Dorset stud in central Gippsland has recorded an average increase of more than $700 during its annual on-property ram sale at Heyfield.
Pinora Poll Dorset stud sold its entire draft of rams to a top price of $3000, with a healthy average of $2340.
"Last year we averaged about $1600 so the average is about $800 up on the same time last year," Pinora Poll Dorset stud principal Kelvin Sundermann said.
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Kelvin along with his brother, John Sundermann, run the Heyfield Poll Dorset stud together, as well as an Angus stud under the same trading name.
The stud was established in 1980, and Kelvin said Wednesday's auction was the best sale in his 42 years.
"We only had one new buyer, all the rest were return buyers and that shows that people have confidence in what we're breeding and what we're breeding is doing the job for them," Kelvin said.
"Over the years we've been able to trickle along and like all studs, your livestock are constantly improving."
The sale marked the 16th on-property auction for the Sundermann family.
"We used to sell privately but we've had a flock sale for the last 16 years and we've evolved over that time thanks to great support from the locals around us," Kelvin said.
"The sale started pretty well and usually it tapers off but it went well from Lot 1 right through to Lot 71."
The top-priced ram was Lot 2 which was knocked down to Billy Tinder, Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock for clients K & P Norman, Bairnsdale.
The ram weighed 124 kilograms, had a fat depth of 7.9, an eye muscle depth of 50 and an eye muscle area of 40.
"He had a good carcase about him," Kelvin said.
"When you have an eye muscle depth of 50 it means you've got a fair chop on him."
Mr Trinder said the Normans had been searching for a Poll Dorset ram to join to their commercial flock.
"He's a good type of ram all the way through with balanced figures and good structure," he said.
"The Normans will put him back into the paddock with a few other Poll Dorsets they run to breed a few replacements for their operation."
Among the volume buyers was McNaughton Pastoral, Airly/Seaspray, which bought 10 Poll Dorset rams to a top price of $2700
Hopfields Pastoral, Dutson, bought nine rams to a top price of $2800.
About a dozen other vendors bought between three and four rams.
Bryce Eishold
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
