Oakwood stud debuts with $6000 high

But given the stud’s significant investment in top genetics it was a disappointing 54 per cent clearance.

Buyers were the winners able to pick through the high indexing Lambplan figured rams with plenty of visual appeal offered by stud principal Duncan Young.

The $6000 top priced ram sold to Tim and Steph Stevenson, Kauladale stud, Kojunup, with Donald Cochrane, Duranillin doing the bidding.  The twin born ram was the top ranked 2015 drop Suffolk on Lambplan with a carcase plus index of 195 including a post weaning weight of 14.7 and positive eye muscle of 1.9.

Mr Cochrane described the July 2015 drop as a “very complete ram”.

“It has positive muscle and fat but visually it is a very good ram on its feet,” he said.

Mr Cochrane, who dispersed his Glencraig stud earlier in the year, also bought Lot 3 for Simon and Natalie Craig, Natawandi stud, Niallup and Lot 62 for Kalinda stud, Boyanup at $2000 each.

Oakwood’s sale was a capped price auction with flock ram buyers paying no more than $1200.

Volume buyer was Double Eight Suffolks, Casterton, Vic with seven rams. 

Since establishing the studs four to five years ago Mr Young has focused on breeding rams with high lean meat yield and eating quality. He has trademarked the name Lambtender Ram for those rams in the top 10 per cent of tenderness traits and expects demand to grow in future years . Of the 37,000 ram lambs recorded on the Sheep Genetics database 46 of the top 10pc rams were in the sale.   “Lamb is an expensive source of protein. Consumers will pay but they expect it to be tender,” he said.

Landmark stud stock auctioneer Richard Miller said it was a disappointing Oakwood was not rewarded for the quality of stock on offer. “They were run under commercial conditions but presented well with very good growth and weight for age and their Lambplan figures are some of the highest around,” he said.

He said there was good competition on selected stud rams but lacked a few more volume orders.

“It was great value for money especially with delivery anywhere free and a very healthy outside agent rebate,” Mr Miller said.