Return buyers were the backbone of bidding at Anden White Suffolk and UltraWhite stud's 28th annual sale at Willangie on Thursday.
The Donnan family offered 253 lots with 209 selling under the hammer, with an UltraWhite ram topping the sale at $10,000, White Suffolk rams selling to $7000 and White Suffolk ewes to $1600.
The sale highlight was the number of outside genetics available that were registerable.
The top UltraWhite ram was Lot 148, purchased by Steve, Ros and Greg Funke, Bundara Downs stud, Western Flat, SA.
The August 2022-drop ram tagged 22-1488 was sired by Anden UW-211195 and had Australian Sheep Breeding Values of -0.25 kilograms birth weight (BWT), +12.62kg post-weaning weight (PWWT), +3.21 millimetres post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD), +1.24mm post-weaning fat depth (PFAT), and a Total Carcase Production (TCP) index of 143.85.
Steve Funke said the ram had caught their eye on the AuctionsPlus video prior to the sale.
Mr Funke said the ram was an outcross pedigree, "which is something we have to be very mindful of".
"He has very-good balanced figures and very-good structure, his legs flowed very well and square," he said.
"The breed only started in 2021 and has got some very-progressive breeders and are hot on structure and the breed has come a long way."
The Funkes also purchased Lot 185, a son of Hillcroft Farms 217196, for $4000, and Lot 250 for $3000 which is a son of Anden UW-211115.
Mr Funke said the three rams were booked in to have semen collected.
He said Anden should be commended for having so many registerable sheep on offer which was a tremendous opportunity for studs.
He said the UltraWhite breed would be the stand-out shedding breed of the future.
"It's come a long way in two years and has advantages in its muscling and carcase yield, good eating quality and it's performance based - it's incredible," he said.
He said the performance base provided a benchmark to work and grow.
"That's the key," he said.
Anden stud principal Joel Donnon said they were definitely happy with the way the sale went, particularly considering where the current market was.
Mr Donnon said they had increased the offering of UltraWhite numbers on the back of last year's sale.
"We did pass a few in but I'm confident they will be sold by the end of the day," he said.
He said some buyers had bought fewer than previous years.
He said people were holding onto their older stock as a result of the mutton price.
"People have still got to join their ewes and they will be joining them to the best-possible rams they can buy," he said.
Buyer of the top-priced White Suffolk was Banquet White Suffolk stud, Mortlake, for $7000.
The Lot 39 ram, an August 2022-drop son of Farrer-200162 had figures of +0.51kg BWT, +12.91kg WWT, +20.70kg PWWT, and a TCP of 165.07.
The stud also bought Lot 24 for $5000 and Lot 23 for $3000.
The two rams were by Anden-190083, which was also the sire of the ram Banquet bought two years ago topping that sale.
Banquet also purchased Lot 7, a White Suffolk ewe, for $1000 and Lot 6 for $800.
Banquet stud principal Gordon Branson said he was impressed with the rams for structural correctness and they would go over different types of ewes.
"I think they will fit in very well," he said.
"I'm very excited with them."
The top-priced ewe was purchased online through AuctionsPlus by Wood Grazing Co, Goodooga, NSW.
The ewe was Lot 2, and it made $1600.
The same buyer purchased six more ewes including Lot 1 for $1400.
Volume buyers included Manfred Station, Balranald, NSW, who purchased 12 UltraWhite rams to a top of $2000.
White Suffolk buyers included Tchelery Pty Ltd, Moulamein, NSW, buying 16 rams in a band between $1000 and $1200, and M & J Evans with 13 rams to a top of $1400.
