Solid bidding on high-indexing Deepwater Borders

The Dowdy family from Binnum sold 132 of 156 rams offered for a $1378 average- making it one of the most affordable SA Border Leicester sales for the season.

The average nearly mirrored the 2018 result when 160 of 166 rams averaged $1388.

The first of the $2900 sale toppers was lot 12 knocked down to RL Hancock & Sons, Reedy Creek who have been return buyers at Deepwater for about six years.

Sired by Inverbrackie 130085, the twin-born ram had a Border Leicester index of 139.8- easily in the top 10 per cent of the breed.

"We're looking for a good balance of traits, early growth but with the breed fertility is the key to high number of lambs weaned to get more lambs out of the ewe progeny," buyers Josh Hancock said.

The Hancocks breed their own first cross ewes and then target the JBS Farm Assurance program with 23kg to 24kg carcaseweight second cross lambs.

The other $2900 ram -lot 47- was knocked down to Locmaria Farms, Hynam, one of 11 rams they bought for a $1773 average.

It had an exceptional number of lambs weaned figure of 18pc.

Several other volume buyers underpinned the strong clearance rate.

GB&RE Hage, Stewart Range, secured 17 rams for a $1218 average, while RH Woodward & Co, Redbank, Lucindale, took home 14 rams for a $1386 average.

Southern Australian Livestock auctioneer Mat Macdonald said there was some good value buying early in the catalogue but the middle rams sold very well.

"There were the figures, muscle and style people were chasing through the middle order," he said.

Josh Dowdy was pleased with the result and the way the paddock prepared rams had presented given the relatively dry winter.

"We had 95 per cent repeat buyers which is good to see their continued support," he said.

He said the stud was focusing on maternal traits such as milk and fertility,with many of their rams in the catalogue ranking in the top 10pc on the number of lambs weaned trait, as well as good eye muscle and fat figures.

Mr Dowdy said there had been good interest in the microns which the stud had provided for each lot for the second year.

SAL and Landmark conducted the sale with Mr Macdonald and Richard Miller sharing the rostrum.