Poll Dorset hits $17,000 record in massive Allendale-Days sale

In their largest ever offering Alastair and Jayne Day’s Allendale stud and Lachy and Lou Day’s Days Whiteface studs sold 412 of 469 rams and ewes across four different breeds for a great $1763 average.

The result from the five hour selling marathon reaffirmed their high industry standing.

Allendale’s Poll Dorset stud offering was particularly strong with 10 rams averaging $6000.

This included the $17,000 sale topper, a son of Derrynock 183/13.

Alastair said Lot 34, a June 2017 drop, came close to being retained but he had already kept two other 183 sons.

“It is the type of ram the Poll Dorset breed needs with its correctness, nice meaty top and shape with good shoulders but plenty of hindquarter and muscle,” he said.

Kreeside stud manager Peter Williams, Mount Torrens, staved off strong competition to buy the sale topper for owner Shirley Willison.

“It was my second choice just looking at the catalogue but when I came here and saw it (Lot 34) it was head and shoulders the best one,” he said.

“It is a lovely clean faced ram, very good on its feet which we really look for, with a good carcase.”

Kreeside also bought two Poll Dorset ewes at $1000 and $600.

Being the nation’s oldest Suffolk stud it was no surprise many studs came to bid on Allendale’s offering

David McCallum, Gumview stud, Melrose, snapped up the $7500 highest priced stud ram at Lot 18.

The twin born ram was by homebred sire, Allendale 1439/14.

Belmont stud, Mount Pleasant, bought Lot 20 at $5500 and Lot 27 at $3000.

SA studs chased high indexing White Suffolk rams with great structure to five figures three times during the combined Allendale-Days Whiteface sale.

Martin and Kirsty Harvey, Paxton stud, Western Flat, outlaid $11,000 for Lot 1 for its length and meat content.

It also had exceptional Lambplan figures with +2 for eye muscle depth and had the highest carcase plus index at 213.2.

“We keep buying Days sheep and they rarely miss with consistency they offer,” Mr Harvey said.

But it was Lot 2, Days  which made the $12,000highest price , knocked down to Kenton and Jody Farr, Harrys Well, Loxton.

They said the July 2017 drop had a great combination of pedigree and figures.

“It is a well balanced ram with a really good thick back end,” he said.

“Gordon Wood (Landmark stud stock manager) had recommended we come and look and I’m glad we did.”

The ram was sired by Days 140320, the previous reserve interbreed champion from the Melbourne Royal Show.

David McCallum, Gumview stud, Melrose, outlaid $11,000 for Lot 4, a July 2017 drop with a post weaning weight figure of 17.3.

Lachy and Lou Day also notched up a total clearance on their White Suffolk flock rams in one of the breed’s best results seen during the selling season.

Their 134 rams averaged $1684, up nearly $250 on last year.

Buyers came from the Mid North to western Vic but it was Glynbrae Pastoral Co, Penshurst, Vic, who paid the $2500 top price for Lot 264.

Among the volume buyers G Durrant, Jamestown secured 12 rams for a $1950 average.

Bids came thick and fast in the first three quarters of the 111 Poll Dorset flock ram offering, reaching $2000 many times, but as demand waned there were rams available at $800.

LS Johnson & Son, Naracoorte, bought 11 Poll Dorsets to $2000 averaging $1436.

V&L Munro, Naracoorte, secured nine Poll Dorsets for a $1700 average as well as four White Suffolks averaging $1725.

Bergan Park, Keith, bought six Poll Dorsets for a $1550 average and four White Suffolks averaging $1800.

The Day families generously donated two flock rams  –  a Poll Dorset and a White Suffolk  – to Drought Angels and the Mundulla Concert committee which is holding a fundraiser in February next year to support the Leukemia Foundation, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Breast Cancer Foundation and Prostate Cancer Foundation.

These two rams made $1900 and $2000.

The maternal composite offering from Days Whiteface attracted a couple of new buyers but it was two repeat clients who went head to head on the top end.

Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen’s Richard Harvie bought 10 for Tony Mackereth, Padthaway, for a $1890 average, including the highest priced one at $3200.

Elders Naracoorte branch manager Tom Dennis bought eight rams for the Baker Group, Furner, averaging $1925.

Overall 43 of 54 rams sold for a $1576 average.

Landmark stud stock manager Gordon Wood said it was a mammoth sale and for it to be such as success was testament to the efforts of the Day family.

“Allendale and Days Whiteface are professional stud breeders- it is their entire business and that professionalism is what brings buyers back,” he said.

“Their stud genetics go nationwide but many of their flock ram buyers are second generation buyers who keep coming back for reliable, repeatable genetics.”

Elders southern zone stud stock manager Ross Milne said it was a great result across all the different categories and quality genetics right through the catalogue.

“People are prepared to pay for a quality article and they found it here,” he said. 

Landmark, Elders and Spence Dix & Co were joint selling agents.