THE fortunes of studs with British Breeds have been varied during the long selling season, with many averages slipping and total clearances hard to come by.
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The lack of spring rainfall last year, and a tight autumn, saw large numbers of ewes offloaded early in the year. With many studs increasing ram numbers, the supply-demand equation was well out of equilibrium.
In fact many studs are hoping for more ram sales when ewes are bought at upcoming off-shears sales, with large numbers still unsold.
Clearance rates in the past few years had been enhanced by the need for some producers to replace their sire battery after positive tests to brucellosis but these mass purchases were not evident this year.
This result is in stark contrast to the magical Merino sales seen earlier in the season, driven by commercial producers desiring to increase their Merino ewe numbers.
It may have created some short-term pain for British Breed studs but it augurs well for both maternal and terminal breeders in coming years.
Stud buyers were constrained in their bidding but there were a number of highlights including a new Australian record price of $18,200 for a Border Leicester ram at Coolawang's on-property sale at Mundulla West paid by Glencorrie stud, Sandilands.
The highest priced Poll Dorset for the season was $15,000, paid for the interbreed supreme champion ram at the 2013 Royal Adelaide Show from Ulandi Park, Marrabel. It was sold at the Adelaide Elite Ram Sale.
The $10,500 highest priced White Suffolk ram was sold at the same venue by Tattykeel stud Oberon, NSW.
Among SA on-property sale performers to clear large numbers at outstanding averages were Inverbrackie stud, Strathalbyn, which sold 220 of 229 Border Leicester rams for a $1070 average; Ella Matta White Suffolk stud, Parndana, Kangaroo Island which sold 144 of 144 rams for a $1184 average; and Woolumbool Poll Dorset and White Suffolk stud, which sold 184 of 187 rams for a $1048 average.
* Full report in Stock Journal's October 31 edition.
