The Day families had plenty to celebrate at their 50th annual ram sale at Bordertown last Friday with a total clearance of three of their four breeds and strong SA and eastern states stud interest.
In one of the state's largest annual ram offerings, Alastair and Jayne Day from Allendale stud and Lachy and Lou Day from Days Whiteface stud sold 391 of 429 stud and flock rams for a $2499 average.
This was an impressive jump in average on their 2021 sale where 357 of 436 rams averaged $2343.
It was fitting that their oldest breed, which is also Australia's oldest Suffolk stud, produced the $20,000 sale high.
The lot 3 sale topper, Allendale 955/21 was bought by Brett Gum, Lowan Hill stud, Pinnaroo, who also paid a national record of $21,500 in 2019 for another Allendale ram.
He was impressed by the June 2021 drop which was sired by Sayla Park 190113.
"He has reasonably good figures, structurally was very nice, good black definition on his head and legs and good skin colour, " he said.
"He was an all round good ram so it was a bit hard not to want to buy him."
Mr Gum has attended the Allendale sale for more than 30 years and says their rams have a track record of performance in the Lowan Hill stud.
"We have not very often bought an Allendale ram that hasn't performed for us in our conditions," he said.
Allendale's 16 Suffolk stud rams were definitely one of the sale's highlights averaging an outstanding $9218, with seven of these making $10,000 or more.
Three SA studs- Willochra, Sheoak Lodge and Gumview each paid $16,000 for rams.
This price was matched in Days Whiteface stud's White Suffolk offering when Martin and Kirsty Harvey, Paxton stud, Western Flat, bought lot 18- an eye appealing, AI bred son of Felix 191175 with a TCP index of 149.7.
"He is full of meat with a thick back end and a post weaning weight of 17.4 is right in the top end of the breed and is a different bloodline for us," Mr Harvey said.
"We know what we are going to get when we buy Lachy's rams."
Another Felix 191175 son at lot 24 made $13,000- the second highest price in the White Suffolks- to Nick and Kate Wadlow, Old Ashrose stud, Hallett.
Despite these strong prices there was still plenty of good buying in the White Suffolk stud catalogue with 16 rams averaging $5733.
Allendale's 15 Poll Dorset stud rams averaged $5866 with lot 37 making the $12,000 high.
The stylish May 2021 drop sold to JM Hiscock & Sons, Kilmore, Vic, through AuctionsPlus.
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In a sign of the influence of the studs on the prime lamb industry, flock rams sold from the Mid North to the Lower South East and into Vic.
All 148 White Suffolk flock rams averaged $2031, all 48 Suffolks averaged $2050 and 111 Poll Dorsets averaged $1866.
Kalos Park, Bordertown, bought nine White Suffolks to $2000 twice averaging $1644 for them.
They also secured six Poll Dorsets to $2400 for a $1733 average.
Brecon Props, Keith, secured 14 Poll Dorsets for a $1971 average, paying to a $2400 high and AS&SJ Lowe, Mundulla, took home 15 rams, buying White Suffolks and Suffolks.
Buyers were more selective in Days Whiteface's maternal composites with 38 of 76 selling for a $1305 average.
Those who were in the market for the composites, which include infusions of up to nine breeds, were willing to spend up with six lots making $2000 or more.
Harlock Pastoral, Bool Lagoon, bought the highest priced maternal- lot 379 for $2800.
JL Paltridge was the volume buyer with seven rams between $1000 and $1400.
Allendale stud co-principal Alastair Day said even though he and Lachy had been running separate studs for sometime now it was pleasing they were still working closely together and holding a joint sale.
He was also proud that the fourth generation of the Day family were actively involved in the studs.
"The great people that we are involved with either as clients, agents and fellow breeders make stud breeding a great industry for us to be in," he said.
Lachy said the family were very proud of the 50 year achievement but were continuing to look forward.
"This is all about family, friends and clients and we consider our clients as friends," he said.
"It was great to have support from so many repeat buyers in our stud and flock rams and it was interesting that the rams with really good data sold particularly well."
Nutrien SA stud stock auctioneer Gordon Wood said 50 years was a milestone for any breeder but it was a "massive accomplishment" given they also had stud cattle.
"It is a mammoth effort every year to go through recording all the lambs and calves and to not only record that data but to do it well," he said.
Mr Wood said the quality of the flock rams was "impeccable to the last pen in each breed".
"The data on the rams is very good and phenotypically they are in the top end as well."
Spence Dix & Co director Jono Spence said the Day families' genetics had not only influenced many flocks and herds across Australia but their "education, employment and inspiration" had seen many young people pursue careers in agriculture, including himself.
"Breeding seedstock to this family is their life and it is why they have stayed at the forefront of the industry- they have continued to reinvest not just their profits but their research into their programs," he said.
"In the modern day we see a lot of stud programs with a lot of frills and gloss in their marketing, their approach has been pretty basic but they have let their stockmanship and the sheep and cattle themselves be their advertisement."
Elders, Nutrien and Spence Dix & Co were joint selling agents.
