Leap in average for high-indexing Deepwater Border Leicesters

But the line on the map, the SA-Vic border,which is just a couple of kilometres from the Dowdy family's property, did take its toll on the clearance of the other offering, their Jay-Dee maternal composites.

Previously two sales, the two offerings were combined this year with more than 250 maternal sires on offer.

RELATED: Solid bidding on high-indexing Deepwater Borders

In the Border Leicesters 155 of 156 July-August 2019 drop, high-indexing rams hitting $3200 three times for a $1799 average, a new record average for the stud.

Despite the leap in average it was still one of the most affordable sales for the year.

However momentum stalled on Jay-Dee maternal composites with just 34 of 100 finding homes for a $1108 average.

Nutrien SA stud stock manager Gordon Wood bought strongly in the top end of the Border Leicester catalogue for AM&SD Webb, Auburn, who were buying sires for their newly-purchased Fleurieu Peninsula property.

They secured 10 rams for a $2640 average , including one of the $3200 sale toppers at lot 2, a ram with an outstanding weaning weight figure of 6.7.

Stobo Farms, Horsham, Vic, secured lot 4 for $3200 among their tally of eight rams for a $2050 average.

The other $3200 ram-with a top 10pc number of lambs weaned figure of 19pc- went to long-time client RL Hancock & Sons, Kingston SE

New clients Calluna and Paul Longbottom, Longbottom Partners, Mount Benson, underpinned the sale's success, buying 30 rams with their Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson agent Jamie Gray.

They are changing tack with their self-replacing Merino ewe flock and next year hope to have a top run of first cross ewe lambs in the Naracoorte feature sale.

The stands emptied out for the maternal composite sale which followed the Border offering.

Buyers were spoilt for choice but bidding was lack lustre until lot 25 when Boothby Downs Partners, Tintinara, outlaid $2700 for lot 25.

The September 2019 drop caught the eye of bidders with an exceptional maternal $ index of 151.7 and a big number of lambs weaned figure of 13.4 per cent.

The 26.8 micron ram was 21 per cent East Friesian, 14pc Finn, 26pc Texel, 13pc Border Leicester, (the four main breeds in the Jay-Dee cross), along with 22pc Coopworth, 3pc Dorset and 1pc White Suffolk.

Jay-Dee maternal composites have been bred over more than 25 years to deliver a good doing sheep with high fertility, good carcase, early growth and good mothering traits.

Nutrien Hamilton, Vic, client, Newlyn, made the most of the great buying with 25 rams, all bar one knocked down at the $1000 base price.

Deepwater stud's Judy Dowdy was pleased to gain a few new clients and said using online platform had given them exposure to a wider audience.

She said it was the most even offering they had put up and had the figures to match with one of the highest ranking flocks in Australia for fertility and many rams ranked in the top 10 per cent for eye muscle depth.

"We have really pushed to get the fertility for profit making and pushed for good carcases on our Border Leicesters because we want our clients to get their first cross wether lambs off early and for good prices," she said.

"It carries on to the lambs from the first cross ewes too."

Mrs Dowdy said the maternal composite result was disappointing with just five buyers, but not unexpected as 90 per cent of their following is Victorian.

They knew many of their long standing clients were beyond the 70km cross border zone into Vic and did not feel comfortable buying sight unseen.

Six rams sold through AuctionsPlus across both breeds.

Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Richard Miller said it was the stud's "best ever" Border Leicester sale and great reward for a "very even line-up with outstanding data", including some of the finer wool types in the Border Leicester breed.

"All the Border sales have all been 20 to 30 per cent up on last year and this one is close to $500 up too. People are seeing the value in the first cross and it has always been there but it will continue to be," he said.

Mr Miller said the maternal composite rams were very good value for money.

"The rams were very even and true-to-type for what they were doing," he said.

"Buyers were really chasing rams with high number of lambs weaned and big eye muscle and positive fat, they were all through the catalogue but it was just limited demand."

Nutrien and Southern Australian Livestock were joint selling agents with Mat MacDonald sharing the rostrum with Mr Miller.