MT Alma's annual on-property Dohne Merino ram sale at Coonalpyn on September 3 did not skip a beat to produce one of the strongest results of the 2013 SA ram-selling season.
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The stud got a huge vote of confidence in its genetics and depth of catalogue as buyers dug deep into their pockets for the even line-up with carcase merit.
Most rams in the first row made $2000 or more, and in the pens of five late in the sale, buyers continued to raise their hands high, with many paying more than $1000.
This ensured an exceptional sale average of $1775 for vendors Ike and Carolyn Ashby, and Eric and Sophie Ashby.
Though the average was back on Mt Alma's top 2012 sale, it still set the benchmark for Dohne sales in SA.
The clearance rate defied the current seasonal trend, with 130 of 134 May-June 2012-drops finding homes in all corners of the state.
Two volume station orders from the New South Wales Western Division also buoyed the clearance rate.
The sale started on a positive note with Mt Alma donating the proceeds of the first ram to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Border Downs Tintinara Football Club for the second successive year.
It was the heaviest ram in the catalogue - weighing 110kg - and sold for $3300 to Mitch Harrison, Langwell Station via Broken Hill, who also supported the good cause in 2012.
Langwell Station, Mt Alma clients for more than 15 years, put together 13 rams on its buying card, looking for the bare breech rams with good constitution.
"We are getting the results with the lambs. We are yet to mark this year's lambs, but we would be well up above 100pc lambing again," Mitch said.
The eventual $3600 top price came a few lots later with a ram that had plenty of barrel and a Dohne$index of 140. It had a positive yearling eye muscle depth of 0.7 millimetres and clean fleece weight of 9.2pc.
Stuart Murdoch, Warooka, was the successful buyer - it was one of his four purchases.
"He is a beautiful well-structured, well-balanced ram with soft handling wool," he said.
Elders district wool manager Steph Brooker-Jones actively bid for two Lucindale clients, securing four for MH Davidson to $2700 and five rams in quick succession for JT&GM McKay, to a $2200 high.
Another valuable station order came from Luke and Sarah Mashford, Katalpa Station, who bought 14 rams between $800 and $1600.
The 43 registered bidders had access to comprehensive information on each lot, with the placards including a wide range of ASBVs and raw measurements, and birth types showing the stud's emphasis on fertility.
Stud principal Eric Ashby said the highlight for them was the positive feedback from repeat clients.
"It was great to hear how they are improving returns from their sheep enterprises with our genetics through combined wool and lamb sales and improving the fertility of their flocks," he said.
"It is always exciting when you are getting good commercial feedback," he said.
The breed's versatility was evident, with clients using Dohnes in a wide range of enterprises, from lowering the micron of composite flocks, and as replacements for traditional first cross ewes, self-replacing Dohne flocks and even Dohnes as terminal sires.
"Those with Dohnes always benefits from any market movement," Eric said.
"When lamb prices are up, they get more for them and when wool is up people can go back into breeding more wool if they want."
* Full report in Stock Journal, September 12 issue, 2013.
