Total clearance at Deepwater Border Leicesters

Judy, John, Josh and Jackson Dowdy from Binnum were one of the SA ram selling season’s big improvers with their first total clearance in at least five years. They cleared an extra 70 rams on 2015’s sale and their average rose more than $200.

Buyers from the South East, Mallee and western Vic bid with confidence on the consistent line-up of paddock raised, early growth rams with good carcase and wool types.

Pen after pen attracted a flurry of bidding with the first ram knocked down for less than $1000 not until lot 59. But there were plenty of great value between $700 and $900 in the latter half of the catalogue.

The structurally sound rams presented well considering the area has received nearly double the rainfall this year compared to 2015 and many paddocks are still sodden.

Complementing the rams’ phenotypes were some exceptional Sheep Genetics figures. In fact the entire catalogue were above average on the the Maternal $ index and three quarters of them ranked in the top 25 per cent of 2015 drop progeny recorded on the database.

Nineteen of these rams ranked in the top 10pc of the breed.

These high ranking sires were keenly sought averaging $1389.

New clients Max and Jill Williams, MD Williams & Co, Lochaber left their mark buying 13 rams in the top end of the catalogue including the $2000 sale topper.

The August 2015 drop son of Inverbrackie 085 had a maternal $ index of 126.7 including a weaning weight of 6.3 and greasy fleece weight of 13.8- both in the top 10pc of 2015 drop maternals.

The Williams who averaged $1346 for their buys plan on breeding ewes for the Naracoorte blue ribbon first cross ewe sale in coming years 

 “The indexes played a part and the weaning weights but we were also looking at the overall body and length of the animal,” Mr Williams said of his selections.

Tintinara first cross ewe lamb producers RJ&ED Sanders also bought 13 rams to $1600 for a $1119 average.

Landmark Naracoorte branch manager Richard Jennings had an order for 10 rams from Jackman Farming, Loxton securing them for a $910 average.

Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen’s Simon Mulraney was in the thick of the action buying 27 rams for six clients. Included in the tally was TG&D Mulraney, Edenhope, Vic who bought 10 rams between $700 and $850.

Josh said it had been a challenging year to present rams but was pleased to see around 80 per cent of the gallery repeat buyers.

Judy was also thrilled to see such strong support for the Border Leicester breed and the traditional Border Leicester-Merino ewe reaffirming itself as the preferred prime lamb mum.

“It has been a good year for Border sales,” she said.

“We are also pleased people studied the catalogue really looking at the figures with all the ones with the higher figures the ones making the higher prices.”

Landmark stud stock manager Gordon Wood said it was a “fantastic result” for the Dowdy family to achieve a total clearance. 

“They have struggled with clearance in the last couple of years but their Borders stack up well, both phenotypically and the performance data which is in the top end of the breed,” he said.

 “ It is great to see them being rewarded for their efforts.”

Southern Australian Livestock and Landmark conducted the sale.