THE Australian Whites, an economical run - similar to beef cattle but not requiring the infrastructure or the labour inputs - and producing high fertility created some great bidding competition at Ardene Australian Whites, Mount Torrens, on Thursday.
Overall, selling to four states and setting a stud record, 11 stud rams were offered and sold to $14000, averaging $9136, 86 of 92 flock rams sold under the hammer to $7000, averaging $4183, three stud ram lambs were offered and sold to $9000, av $8500, 10 stud ewe lambs were offered and sold to $5000, av $3714, of one stud ewe with a lamb-at foot made $11000, one stud ewe with two LAF made $8000, 22 scanned-in lamb stud ewes sold to $10000, av $6886 and 14 stud ewes were offered and sold to $5000, av $6886.
There were 59 registered bidders, with buyers on AuctionsPlus being very active to secure more than 40 per-cent of the catalogue. AuctionsPlus users had 102 bids on lots offered.
Ardene Australian Whites achieved its record price at auction of $14000 with their stud ram - lot 54, tag 190277, son of Tattykeel Trump - bought by Elders Bathurst, NSW.
Ardene Australian Whites stud principal Jannie Hodgson said the top-price ram was sired by Tattykeel Trump which has continued to produce.
"He is a nice, well-balanced muscular type of ram," she said.
The flock rams finished the sale with the top price of $7000 sold to W Peck & KF Browne after very competitive bidding.
The volume buyer in the rams was Timothy Dowdle, Wallington, Vic, who bought eleven rams at an average of $4864, Charles Leone, Nagambie, Vic, also bought eight rams at an average of $4156.
Ms Hodgson said the stud are ecstatic considering no one has been able to get out and show their sheep or put them on displays at field days.
"We are pleased to see repeat buyers continue, in studs Roslynmead West, Vic, Windsong Valley, WA, Beeamma, and a number of commercial producers, who all bought a number of rams and ewes each," she said.
The top price ewe lamb was lot three, a May 2021-drop bought for $4500 by Danny Tesera, Echuca, Vic, via AuctionsPlus.
Mr Tesera also bought the next top price offering, stud ewes with LAF, making the top price stud ewe LAF was Lot 11 with a ram and ewe at $11000.
Next offered was the stud ewe with a ram and ewe LAF, lot 12 made $8000 and sold to Paul Harley via HQ1 enterprises.
SIL Stud ewes topped at $10000 to HQ1 Enterprises via Westcoast livestock.
Top buyer of the stud ram lambs was Lot 52 Footprint Foods, to $9000.
The volume buyer in the ewes was Balmattum Australian White Sheep Stud, Balmattum, Vic, who bought seven ewes at an average of $6429 via AuctionsPlus.
Kept on his toes was Nutrien's auctioneer Gordon Wood having almost knocked down sheep before buyers made last-second bids after the third-call but before the hammer fell.
"There is a massive amount of demand in Australia for these sheep at the moment," he said.
"Demand is strong and supply is not huge so therefore if you want to get in, you have got to bid up to secure them.
"Ardene sheep were presented in their best genetic potential so people got to see what the lambs would do and what the ewes could reproduce."
Mr Wood said geographically Ardene's sheep went from Mount Gambier to the Birdsville track and scattered interstate.
"The doing ability in the Australian Whites is for any environment, Ardene has very versatile sheep," he said.
"It has been an amazing day and one to remember."
The sale was conducted by Elders and Nutrien Ag Solutions, with Nutrien Fawcett Livestock the duty agent and Nutrien's Gordon Wood auctioneer.
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