Repeat Jay-Dee maternal clients enjoy $1123 average

In the final SA ram sale for the season the Dowdy family sold 48 of its 108 spring-2018-drops for a $1123 average, nearly all heading into Vic.

Buyers were able to secure great value rams, with the average back $55 on 2018's sale.

RELATED: Jay-Dee maternals average $1178

There was a wealth of data on each lot to help buyers in their decision making, included their birth and rear type of the ram, a huge number of traits and micron test results on each ram which the stud introduced due to the premium for finer crossbred wools.

The rams were offered in sire groups with buyers stepping up on those they wanted, including the sale topper which made $1800.

A replacement for lot 9 it sold to Allen Cathness, Gippsland, Vic, with Landmark Naracoorte branch manager Richard Jennings bidding on his behalf.

The 28.7 micron ram comprised 19 per cent East Friesian, 14pc Finn, 25pc Texel and 14pc Border Leicester (the four main breeds in the Jay-Dee cross), along with 22pc Coopworth, 4pc Poll Dorset and 1pc White Suffolk.

It had a maternal $ index of 144.

Landmark Hamilton, Vic, client Newlyn was far and away the biggest buyer with 24 rams to $1400, averaging $1067.

Another dominant force was Koolomurt Pastoral, Coleraine, Vic, with 12 high-indexing rams also averaging $1067.

Judy Dowdy said the stud's aim was to "deliver a hardy, good doing sheep with good carcase, early growth, high fertility and good mothering traits."

It had achieved a 136 per cent scanning rate on its 5-7 month old ewe lambs joined for a four-week period from late February, but has also had great success testing its maternal composite genetics in its own commercial flock and feedlot.

For the first time Jay-Dee also had some East Friesian-Border Leicester rams in its offering,although these are still available for sale.

Josh Dowdy said the rams were some of the best presented they had offered in 12 years of sales.

Landmark stud stock auctioneer Richard Miller said it was a good effort to sell as many rams as the stud did with the small crowd.

"The sheep are as good a quality as we have seen at Jay-Dee with great growth and weight for age in the sheep and some fantastic maternal indexes, we just ran out of buyers," he said.

Southern Australian Livestock's Alistair Haynes said it was good to see repeat buyers travelling long distances to purchase "extremely well-bred" rams.

He said there was a strong place in the industry for maternal composites from those looking to breed their own replacement ewes, but also turn off terminal lambs.

"They are really well suited to the high rainfall areas where their clients are achieving high productivity and equally high returns for their business from the fertility of the sheep and number of lambs weaned," Mr Haynes said.

The Dowdys are considering next year combining their Deepwater Border Leicester sale held last week with their maternal sale.

Landmark and Southern Australian Livestock conducted the sale with Mr Miller and Mat MacDonald the auctioneers.