BUYERS from four states competed strongly on a quality line up of White Suffolk rams at the 27th Ashmore Ram Sale at Wasleys on Monday.
In one of the state's largest White Suffolk offerings for the season, a packed gallery competed strongly throughout the catalogue, resulting in 181 of the 189 White Suffolk rams sold to four states for a $1413 average. The average was just $14 down on last year but with an additional 31 rams sold.
Ashmore principals were rapt with the strong support shown for their performance-based breeding program with a strong correlation between high Australian Sheep Breeding Values and price throughout the catalogue.
Sale-topper Lot 1, Ashmore 180080, combined figures of a 21.1 post-weaning weight, -0.2 PW fat, 2.8 PW eye muscle depth, -8 PW egg count, a 237 Carcase Plus index and Total Carcase Production index of 163, with excellent carcase and structure - attracting a lot of pre-sale interest.
The ram was bought by a SA-based syndicate of Woolumbool, Bundara Downs and Marjahdah White Suffolk studs, which paid $13,500 to set a new on-property record for a stud ram at Ashmore.
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The second top-price ram Lot 12, Ashmore 180451, was bought by repeat stud client Hovell Stud, Burrumbuttock, NSW, for $4600.
Hovell stud principal Rod Frohling bought two stud rams at the 2017 sale and they performed so well he returned to buy another stud sire prospect this year. The ram had figures boasting 18.7PWWT, -0.2 Pfat, 3.5 PEMD, -12 PWEC and a Carcase Plus index of 234 and Total Carcase Production index of 157. Two stud rams also went to WA stud Providence Farms.
The flock ram section of the sale was ideal for the top-end buyers who competed aggressively on the lots between $1200-$2000, with rams going to all parts of SA as well as Tas and Vic.
While the top end of the sale ran hot, there was still terrific value in the back end of the catalogue with 59 rams making $1000 or less.
Auctioneers Landmark's Leo Redden and Elders' Tom Penna were impressed with the evenness and depth of the catalogue.
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