'Strapping' sire sells to $3200

The stud sold to $3200 and cleared 118 of 121 sires offered, averaging $1261.

Stud principal Clive Shillabeer said the sale attracted a large gallery of buyers from across the state.

"Our Vic Mallee clients were able to secure rams via phone bidding so all in all, it was a very solid sale result," he said.

"We have worked very hard to keep our figures going forward in the right direction for early post weaning weight with the correct combination of fat and muscle ratio.

"We think we have been able to do this without losing style, frame size, structure and body conformation."

The $3200 top price ram was the first lot off the rank in the sale and boasted Australian Sheep Breeding Values of a 16.5 post weaning weight, -0.7 for fat and 1.9 eye muscle depth, while it ranked 148 for terminal carcase plus index.

The twin ram was sired by Warburn 160048, Wingamin's $19,000 White Suffolk top price ram at this year's Adelaide Ram Sale.

Vanita White Suffolk studmaster Nathan Geue, Kingston SE, bought the $3200 top price ram for his new stud.

Based on genetics from Chesson Park White Suffolk Stud, Loxton, the new stud hoped to breed well-balanced sheep with a focus on high muscling attributes.

"We need to breed adaptable sheep so we were attracted to Wingamin's genetics," he said.

"The ram was so well-balanced but had high muscling and smooth shoulders - it was also good on its legs."

The Geue's also run Border Leicester and Poll Dorset studs and Mr Geue said offering White Suffolk stud sheep too, would suit their existing client needs.

The ram will go in with stud ewes at the start of February.

The $3100 second-highest price ram was bought by SD&AM Webb, Balaklava.

Also a twin and sired by Woolumbool 173980, its ASBV's included a pwwt of 18.1, -0.1 fat, 2.7 pemd and 160 for TCP.

After acquiring a new property on the Fleurieu Peninsula, Scott Webb will put the rams over top end ewes to produce a second-cross lamb.

"We join Merino-Border Leicester first-cross ewes to White Suffolk rams," he said.

"We use Wingamin rams because they do not lose condition - they are paddock run and perform well under any conditions."

The Webb family secured 19 rams in total, averaging $1600.

RT&CS Horstmann, Palmer, paid $3000 for a ram that will also enter a stud.

Another Warburn 160048 son, it had a pwwt of 16.7, -0.4 for fat, pemd of 2.8 and ranked 151 for TCP.

The sale volume buyer was long-term client John Farley, Peake, after he bought 26 rams to $900, averaging $823.

Return buyer NM&JN White, Cooke Plains, won the bid on 11 rams, to a $1100 top, averaging $972.

Sale auctioneer and Elders stud stock's Tom Penna said the nationally recognised stud offered a "classy" lineup of sires for its buyers.

"The top ram was strapping, and the stud offered long-bodied sheep and it was evident width and thickness had been added by the Shillabeer's in the past few years," he said.

The sale was conducted by Elders Karoonda.

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