BURWOOD White Suffolk and Suffolk studs' Ian and Julie Pfeiffer, Bordertown, had a gruelling wait for their final-stage dispersal sale, but it was close to the swansong they had hoped for.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
The sale, originally planned for early September, was delayed until last Thursday - just weeks after the stud was finally cleared of ovine johnes disease. It was 2.5 months earlier that flock was quarantined because of a false positive while undertaking their routine OJD testing for the Market Assurance Program.
The White Suffolk fraternity, sympathetic to their plight, rallied behind them at the sale, but ultimately it was the high quality of the offering and opportunity to secure many AI- and ET-bred ewes which encouraged buyers to raise their hands.
Momentum continued throughout the sale with a total clearance of all the stud rams of both breeds, and just seven ewes passed in. Buyers were from four states but SA ensured the cream-of-the-crop of 26 years of breeding remained here, purchasing the top-price animals in each category.
Duncan Young, Oakwood stud, Oakbank, made the most of the opportunity to secure top-quality foundation ewes for his new stud. He took 24 ewes including the $2300 sale-topper and the two highest-price ewes with lambs at $1300 each.
The top-price ewe had easily the highest Carcase Plus index figure in the sale at 208 and was a daughter of Anden 090206, sire of the stud's $21,000 ram at the 2012 Royal Adelaide Show.
D&I Tomas, Blackbutt stud, Bencubbin, WA, secured four ewes, a ewe lamb and White Suffolk ram at $3000.
EG&AC Fogden, Parndana, were also strong absentee bidders with eight stud ewes to $700 averaging $550, and CJ&MD Simpson, Apsley, Vic, took six ewes between $250 and $350 plus a White Suffolk ram at $2000.
Kevin and Mary Burzacott, Richmond Park stud, Robe, outlasted strong competition to take home the $6000 top-price White Suffolk ram. The July 2012-drop ET-bred ram was by Wheetlande 094572 and had an index of 202.
* Full report in Stock Journal, December 5 issue, 2013.
