A PHONE order from southern NSW underpinned the success of Bundara Downs' annual summer ram lamb sale on Friday, securing more than half of the nearly 200 rams to sell.
Five years ago, the Funke family, Western Flat, saw an opportunity to provide ram lambs for those mating ewe lambs and each year since have increased the number of rams sold.
Overall 194 rams averaged $1122, up from the 165 which sold in 2021 for a $1062 average.
In the breakdown, 120 of 126 April/May 2021-drop White Suffolks averaged $1148, 69 of 76 Poll Dorsets averaged $1086 and five of 29 Suffolks, which were a couple of months younger, sold at $1000 each.
There were no bids for the 18 Ultra White composites which were also in the catalogue.
The sale's $1900 top price came more than half way through the sale with lot 152 in the Poll Dorset offering.
Buyers, Aaron and Colyn Pietzsch, Elbeuf Pastoral, Keith, were impressed with 78.5kg liveweight of the April drop son of Bundara Downs 1548.
The ram lamb had a Terminal Carcase Production Index of 144.9
"The figures were really good, we are looking to get that early weight in our lambs, this ram had good growth and close to positive fat," Aaron said.
It was one of their two buys to put over Merino ewes.
However it was Red Gum River Pastoral Company, Wagga Wagga, NSW, which the crowd heard called out the most by Elders auctioneers Laryn Gogel and Tony Wetherall, during the two-hour sale.
They bought 61 White Suffolk to a $1400 high twice and 46 Poll Dorsets also to a $1400 high.
The majority were secured with a single bid at $1000.
Muston Pastoral, Hamilton, Vic, who are also volume buyers at the stud's September ram sale, made the most of the stud's latest genetics.
They secured nine White Suffolks for a $1333 average, as well as eight Poll Dorsets averaging $1275.
Nearly all of the 14 registered bidders bought.
Another 20 users logged on to follow the sale on AuctionsPlus securing 16 rams.
Fifteen of these rams went to CJ&V Bourne, Maxwell, NSW.
Stud principal Greg Funke was "rapt" with the result.
"We have been starting to send a lot more up through NSW, the confidence in what the sheep are doing is showing in the numbers they are buying down here," he said.
"These ram lambs are tailor made with figures to suit for ewe lamb matings, it is a little different to our September sale.
"Other than that they (the buyers) are getting the opportunity of a new generation of rams a lot, lot earlier."
Mr Gogel was also "excited" about the high clearance rate and support from NSW, as well as locals.
"To be honest we were a little bit nervous leading into ram lamb selling season knowing we had so many rams carry over into the summer period, we were still selling rams that were one year old prior to Christmas," he said.
"So to have 194 cleared out of the catalogue today has been a hell of an effort."
Mr Gogel said the ram lambs on offer were "sensational".
"Up to 90kg in a ram lamb, you don't do that everyday unless they are bred right and some feeding behind it," he said.
"If you want lambs that are going to come on as trade to early export weights these blokes here are going to sire them."
Mr Gogel said the lack of interest in the Ultra White composites was no indication of how the pure bred, shedders, were likely to sell later in the year.
"The few purebreds that have been here have been easily sold (privately)," he said.
"We know there are buyers from Coonalpyn to Mt Gambier competing to buy (Ultrawhite) rams out of WA, it will be interesting to see what happens when they have them on their doorstep."
Bundara Downs has a busy 2022 ahead with three more sales.
Their mated ewe sale will be on April 1, their spring ram sale on September 16 and the inaugural Ultra White ram lamb sale in November.
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