Mt Alma Dohne rams were in very strong demand at Coonalpyn on Wednesday last week with a massive $889 increase in their average price on the previous year.
The stud presented one of the most even line up of sale rams of any breed with consistent figures throughout the catalogue for bodyweight (96 kilograms to 115kg), carcase and structure, alongside the wool tests and yearling eye muscle scans.
This consistency and feedback from clients having success with Mt Alma genetics resulted in a 40 per cent increase in sale average to $3078 and full clearance of 100 rams, even with an additional 20 rams sold.
The top price ram went to first-time buyer DSL Pregnancy Scanning Services, Deniliquin, NSW, who also have Mt Alma-blood ewes bought from long-time client Luke Mashford, Packsaddle, NSW.
The fertility of the Mt Alma sheep pointed DSL Pregnancy Scanning to buy at Mt Alma and secured the top priced ram for $5000 in their three, averaging $4466.
The top priced ram came at lot 17, was a twin with a yearling weight of 87.5kg, eye muscle depth of 40 centimetres and 5.5 millimetre fat.
It also had wool tests of 19.4 Micron, 3.0 standard deviation, 15.4 coefficient of variation and 99.6 per cent comfort factor as well as estimated breeding values of 3.5 weaning weight, 4.2 post-weaning wt, 4.6 yearling weight, 1.0 post-weaning EMD, 0.1 Pfat and 11.6 yearling clean fleece weight.
Another new client was Fitzpatrick P/L, Deniliquin, NSW, which secured 19 rams to average $2642 paying to $3200 five times.
LF&SM Mashford, Packsaddle, while unable to come to SA, operated strongly as first time users of Auctionsplus and bought 13 rams to average $3123, to a top of $4000 twice.
"We have been on Mt Alma Dohnes and having great success for 10 years," Sarah Mashford said.
"They are high performers in our pastoral country. We have had a below average season this year and still achieved 120pc lambs weaned.
"We have sold this years lambs already to a feedlot at an average bodyweight of 36kg.
"With Dohnes we have ceased mulesing, they are great mothers with do ability and survivability.
"They also have bright white wool of good style and low micron."
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Regular Lucindale clients S&R Digiorgio bought 11 rams to average $3091 and Steph Brooker-Jones, Elders, bought eight rams for Egremont Pastoral to average $3225.
"It was Mt Alma's best ever line up, they have good bright white wool type that suit higher rainfall area of Lucindale," Ms Brooker-Jones said.
"Egremont run a pure Dohne flock and achieve very good lambing and weaning percentages. The Dohnes are very good mothers."
There were 26 buyers during the sale. Auctionsplus had three active bidders that secured 19 rams and made 108 online bids on 34 lots.
Every year the Ashby family donate the proceeds of the lot one ram to a charity of their choice and this year the Epilepsy Action Australia Group was donated $3400.
The versatility of Mt Alma Dohnes showed in the widespread of buyers with rams selling to the South East, Mallee, Yorke Peninsula, Barossa, Broken Hill, NSW, and Deniliquin, NSW
Mt Alma principal Eric Ashby said the rams were paddock reared, easy-doing and would continue to improve.
"We aim to breed commercial relevant, high fertility sheep with early growth on good structure with a valuable carcase," he said.
"They must have white wools for high rainfall as well as dry conditions.
"It was a terrific sale and shows where the industry is at."
Auctioneer duties were shared by Richard Miller, Nutrien and Steve Doecke, Elders.
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