FIERCE bidding for flock rams was a highlight of the Pipkorn family’s 29th annual Detpa Grove White Suffolk auction at Jeparit, Vic, on Thursday last week, with the competition helping to lift the section’s average by a third on the 2016 sale.
Overall, 240 of 256 rams and ewes sold to $9000 twice, averaging $1610.
All 32 stud rams cleared to the sale top, averaging $3344.
Basil and Tim Jorgensen, Mertex stud, Antwerp, Vic, paid $9000 for DG 160077 Tw, the biggest and most powerful ram in the draft, displaying huge growth and muscling, and boasting a Carcase Plus Index of 210.
The second ram to make $9000 was DG 160323 Tw, with a CP Index of 206. Its overall balance of top phenotype and genotype particularly attracted Andrew Saunders, Salamander stud, Horsham, Vic, who outlasted WA competition on the AuctionsPlus network.
Both the top rams were sired by DG 140300.
Also operating at the top end of the sale were Hodder Pastoral Co, Horsham, which bought DG 160212 Tri for $7000, and fellow Vic buyers M&Y Williams Family Trust, through D&MD Nhill, with two at $6000 and $3250.
WA support was strong, with seven stud rams, eight stud ewes and a semen package heading across the Nullabor.
Bruce Buswell, Matilda Downs stud, Mount Barker, WA, paid $5000 each for DG 160018 and DG 16068, both sons of Anden 140293 with CP indices of 215 and 199.
The White family, Blackwood stud, Boyup Brook, WA, also went to $5000 for DG 160021 Tw, another son of Anden 140293.
The ram regarded by Detpa Grove principal David Pipkorn as the best of the drop – DG 160027 Tw, also sired by Anden 140293 – died a few days before the sale, so to honour the pre-sale interest, the Pipkorns offered a semen package of up to 100 doses in the ram.
This was bought by Nathan Ditchburn, Golden Hill stud, Kukerin, WA, for $5625, in partnership with the Donnan family, Anden stud, Woomelang, Vic – the breeders of its sire.
The Hull family, Kattata Well stud, Port Kenny, took a stud ram at $2500.
All 144 flock rams sold from $1200 to $2100 three times and averaged $1621.
This average was up $21 on last year’s top price for flock rams.
Peter Irving, Irving Partnership, Edenhope, Vic, was again the biggest individual buyer with 24 rams to $1600, averaging $1471.
Craig Bennie bought eight rams, including one from the stud run, and paid to the $2100 equal top flock ram price.
Other buyers with eight rams included J&M Kilpatrick, through Elders Ararat, Vic, averaging $1775 and Bibby-Grant Trust, through TB White & Sons, Ballarat, Vic, averaging $1588.
Bidding online, JH Harding, Burrapark stud, Boyup Brook, paid the $1400 top in the ewe draft for DG 160033 and finished with three ewes averaging $1033.
Clover Valley stud, Stuart Mill, Vic, was the volume ewe buyer with 10 to $800, averaging $650.
Clive and Deb Shillabeer, Wingamin stud, Karoonda, bought two ewes at $1000 and $900 for Gary Heilig, Montana, United States.
The sale was conducted by Elders Wycheproof, with Ross Milne and Nick Gray the auctioneers.
