AN INCREASE in average and top price offset a reduced clearance rate at the eighth Fleurieu Prime multi-vendor ram sale, held at the Strathalbyn Showgrounds on Tuesday.
Despite a quality offering, bidding trailed off at the back end of both the White Suffolk and Suffolk lines, with 24 of 41 rams selling to $1500 and an overall average of $829.
Vendors included Windy Hill White Suffolks, Mount Compass, Urrbrae Suffolks, Urrbrae, Maydale Suffolks, Willunga, and Loch Soy Suffolks, Strathalbyn.
Plenty of interest was shown in one of the two Suffolks offered by Urrbrae, with the ram sold for $1500 under stud purchase guidelines.
The two Urrbrae rams averaged $1150.
The top White Suffolk from Windy Hill sold for $1200 to SJ&SE Cross, Strathalbyn.
The April 2018-drop ram had carcase figures of 9.9 for weaning weight, 14.9 for post-weaning weight and a 194.7 Carcase Plus index.
SJ&SE Cross bought three White Suffolk rams in total, averaging $967.
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The volume buyer of the sale was DD&PB Schiller, Karoonda, who bought eight Suffolk rams to $800, averaging $713.
MR&VA Jaensch, Callington, bought two Suffolks to $1000, averaging $850, while AM&AR Litchfield, Geranium, bought two White Suffolks to $900, averaging $850, and ME&EP Frahn, Goolwa, bought two at $800.
Windy Hill White Suffolks sold 13 of 22 rams, averaging $846, Maydale Suffolks sold six of nine rams, averaging $757, while Loch Sloy Suffolks sold three of eight, averaging $800.
The sale was conducted by Landmark Strathalbyn, with Gordon Wood the auctioneer.
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