Prime lamb producers lift sights at Netley Park's ram sale

With outstanding lamb prices many buyers were prepared to lift their budgets but in a trend expected this season the Poll Dorset offering was a couple of orders short of ensuring a strong clearance.

Vendor Mike King sold 56 of 72 Poll Dorsets for a $1361 average and 60 of 64 Border Leicesters averaging $1365.

Ten passed in rams sold soon after the sale.

Included in the Poll Dorset offering were the stud's first progeny of an Abelene Park ram which Netley Park bought for the $12,000 sale top at the Australasian Dorset Championships in Bendigo, Vic, in 2017.

JW&JA Feder, Lillimur, Vic, secured two of the $2000 top Dorsets, while the other was knocked down to PW Scown & Sons, Bordertown.

Volume Poll Dorset buyers included BL&KJ Staude, Mundulla, with six rams averaging $1650 and Egel Partners, Keith, with eight to $1100 twice, averaging $863.

The Border Leicester sale was particularly quick-paced with about 15 pens where buyers elected to take both rams in the pick of the pen.

The overall sale high came in the Border Leicesters with Bruce Loller, Abundance, Keith and his agent Elders Bordertown branch manager Brenton Henriks paying $2500 for lot 3, which had a Stockscan index of 1215- the highest figured ram in the catalogue.

The Lollers bought three Border Leicesters to put over their Kiandra and Moorundie blood Merino ewes.

"We were looking for performance with weight and fats and top wools to produce better type of wool (in the first cross ewes)," Mr Henriks said.

The Lollers will offer about 400 Border Leicester-Merino ewes on AuctionsPlus next month.

Willswood Farms, Bordertown, bid up for its 10 Border Leicester rams to $1900, averaging $1470.

Saltbush Ag, Booborowie, also took home 10 rams to $1500 three times, averaging $1270 and KR&RA Sherriff and Sons, Keith, bought seven for a $1314 average, including four at $1400.

Mr King said he had hoped for a bit better clearance but acknowledged stud breeding had its "ups and downs".

"The lamb job is pretty solid- it is a good time to be in the industry," he said.

He said the rams had been "behind the eight ball" early in the year but had really gone ahead in the past month with the Poll Dorsets putting on 18.5 kg and the Border Leicesters adding 16kg.

The sale was conducted by Spence Dix & Co with Luke Schreiber and Dean Coddington the auctioneers.

Mr Schreiber said there was good support from the South East, Mid North and into the Vic Wimmera.

"Mike is a no fuss operator, you know what you are going to get with the rams, and people respect that and appreciate it," he said.