FOR the second year in a row, one of Australia's oldest Suffolk studs has dispersed.
However, like the Burwood stud dispersal in 2013, the exit of the Duffield family's Broughton Lodge stud, Wandearah, was a great opportunity for the breed, with several new stud ventures founded.
Broughton Lodge's Suffolk stud offered 387 head at the recent sale, with 75 years of breeding history behind them, to buyers from four states. The outcome was solid with 358 Suffolks sold, averaging $359 in a 93 per cent clearance.
And 54 Poll Dorset lambs averaged $204.
Suffolk ewes sold to $1300, 252 averaging $393. Forty-two of the ewe lambs cleared to $400, averaging $252. And 58 ram lambs topped at $700, averaging $271. Six worker stud rams topped at $1300, averaging $742.
Since the passing of the stud's founder Les Duffield earlier this year, ill health in the family led to the hard decision to disperse the stud and sell the property.
Two of the 70 ewe hoggets, 2013-drop, topped at $900, sold to Simon Richards, Hillstream Suffolk stud, Parawa, through Donald Cochrane, Glencraig Suffolk stud, Duranillin, WA. Hillstream had a big bearing on the overall success of the sale, buying 41 ewes and 13 ewe lambs averaging $415.
The biggest volume buyers were Andrew and Judy Bates, Seaton Park stud, Butler Tanks. They purchased 75 head, 49 ewes to $600, averaging $387. They also paid $1100 for two stud rams, followed by eight ewe lambs at $200, and 16 ram lambs to $325. They paid an average of $358 for the 75 lots.
GR&KJ Hunt, Port Pirie took 67 head, from $200 to $250 for 40 stud ewes, and $200 for two stud rams, two ram lambs and 23 ewe lambs. Their 67 head averaging $207.
The sale's top ewe was Broughton Lodge 100165, at $1300 paid by Duncan Young, Livestock Marketing Pty Ltd, Balhannah. The ewe was very impressive for phenotype and genotype with a Carcase Plus Index of 175, one of the highest in the catalogue.
Mr Young purchased four ewes averaging $925 for his Oakwood stud.
* Full report in Stock Journal, November 27, 2014 issue.
