POLL Dorset rams sold to $1800 twice at Gowan Brae stud's 31st annual sale at Furner on Friday, with regular clients taking advantage of the value on offer.
A total of 104 large-framed Poll Dorsets went through the sale ring, with 95 sold to the gallery of 21 registered bidders from Furner, Naracoorte, Mount Gambier and Kongorong, for a sale average of $1145 - down slightly on last year.
Two stud rams were auctioned first and both were quickly snapped up by Graham Johnson, LS Johnson & Sons, at the equal top price of $1800. They are destined for the Johnsons' prime lamb production operation at Ross Plains, Claywells.
Both rams carry Ulandi Park genetics, with lot 1 recording solid Lambplan figures, including a post-weaning weight of 11.1, PW fat of -0.5, eye muscle depth of 2.1, a Terminal Carcase Production index of 135.8 and Lamb Eating Quality index of 128.2.
The second stud sire had figures of 11.9PWT, -1Pfat, 1.2EMD, a TCP index of 132.8 and LEQ index of 127.7.
A regular buyer for the past several years, Mr Johnson bought seven of the first eight rams auctioned, paying from $1100 to the $1800 top and picking up another further down in the catalogue to bring his tally to eight, paying an average of $1538.
"These are rock solid, reliable flock rams," Mr Johnson said. "I only came to buy a few but ended up with eight.
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"These rams will be going out with the ewes in a week or two in early November.
"The lamb job has been really good this year and I've sold two-thirds of this season's drop already. The first draft were off by the second week of September."
In keeping with past years' tradition, Gowan Brae again donated the proceeds of a selected ram to the Millicent Cancer Support Group. This year, lot 50 was knocked down to Gary and Kylie Schulz, Hatherleigh, through Merrett Livestock, Millicent, at $1400.
The Schulz family bought six rams, paying from $1000 to $1400, averaging $1116. Mr Schulz said that with his family recently being impacted by cancer, he was touched by the support of Gowan Brae stud principal Leigh Clifford and the stud's generous annual donation.
Volume buyer was local grazier and long-time client S&J Clarke, Woomera Homestead, Furner, who bought 12 rams, paying $800-$1200, averaging $1025.
B&M Jones, Thornlea, bought nine to $1200, averaging $1011, while another regular buyer Shiloh Park, Mount Gambier, finished with eight rams to $1400, averaging $1150.
The sale was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions Millicent, with Richard Miller the auctioneer.
Mr Miller said successful bidders got "very good value for money" for the very even line of Poll Dorsets offered.
"There was plenty of heat on the top end of the catalogue and fantastic value through the middle - it was a great opportunity for producers to buy the rams they needed today, plus get a few spares," he said.
"But with a few key buyers missing this year; some filling their orders prior to the sale and another changing direction, in the end we just ran out of buyers."
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