BUYERS from four states contributed to the most successful sale the Hughes family has experienced when 146 rams increased the overall sale average by $669 at their 34th annual Gullendah on-property sale at Baldry on Tuesday, September 20.
Stud principals, Peter and Andrew Hughes, offered 150 rams with 110 Dohne rams sold in a total clearance to $4000, averaging $2700, an increase of $784 on last year’s sale.
Fifteen of 16 Poll Merinos topped at $2400 four times to average $1747, and 21 from 24 Merino rams sold to $2600 to average $1730.
Rams sold to NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, and whilst the Merino averages were up on last year it was the Dohne rams that people were jumping at with interstate buyers securing 20 of the dual-purpose Dohnes carrying excellent wool, leaving the rest to new and returning buyers from NSW.
Last year 149 rams averaged $1799 with 112 Dohnes averaging $1916, 24 Merinos averaging $1450 and 13 Poll Merinos averaging $1430.
Gullendah stud co-principal, Andrew Hughes said he was delighted with the result. “I am very pleased with the sale result and it was great to have both new and returning clients.
“It shows there is a lot of confidence in the meat and wool industry at the moment. I am happy with the direction that the stud is heading and I think it shows with the result of the sale,” Mr Hughes said.
DOHNES
In buying two rams including the $4000 sale-topper, Dan and Jacqueline Carey selected new sires for the Dimension Dohne Stud, “Ballyhooley”, Frogmore, which Mr Carey manages for co-owners.
Dimension is the oldest Dohne stud on the eastern seaboard and runs 150 ewes and supplies rams for buyers in the South West Slopes.
Mr Carey said this was his first visit to Gullendah and was on the lookout for a new sire source that had similar styles to Dimension and could withstand high rainfall.
The $4000 top ram had a Dohne Index Value of 138.7 and a Yearling Weight Breeding Value (YWT) of 3.5 and Clean Fleece Weight (CFW) of 6.8. Their other purchase was at $3250.
Dohne rams have been the mainstay of the sire battery at Brenda Station, Goodooga, owned by Bill Reynolds, “Pembroke”, Merriwa, and managed by Peter McSwan, who returned to secure 27 rams for a $2889 average, topping at $3750.
Graham and Euphemia Southwell, “Box Hill”, Rye Park, first bought Gullendah rams three years ago and returned to buy two for a $3375 average and $3500 top for their 1000 ewe flock.
The Kerr family, “Grogan”, Temora, bought five rams, paying to $3500, averaging $3100, while David Suttor, “Brucedale”, Peel near Bathurst, returned to buy six rams, paying a $3000 average and $3250 top twice.
Long-time clients, the Masters family, “Fernleigh”, Spicers Creek, purchased four rams to $3500 to average $3188, while another returning client, Leon Kohlhagen, “Lovely Pines”, Walla Walla, paid an average of $3250 for four rams, topping at $3500 for his 3000 ewe flock of 18 micron.
Another multi-lot Dohne buyer was the Yarraford Trust, “Yarraford”, Glen Innes, who returned to pick up 11 rams averaging $2773 and top at $3500 twice.
Perola Park Pastoral, Augathella, Qld, bought eight rams for a $2875 average topping at $3250 and four at $3000 each.
Another return buyer, the Bayles brothers, “Chanak”, Cressy, Tasmania, bought five rams to average $2200 and $2750 top, while Hamish and Penny Wald, “Banar”, Condobolin, returned to buy six rams, paying to $2750 twice and a $2292 average.
MERINOS
Stan and Gwen Hazell, “Elksley”, Grenfell, have been buying Gullendah Merino rams for 18 years and returned this year to pay the Merino sale top of $2600 for the second-last ram in the catalogue, a 17.3 micron with a standard deviation (SD) in his wool of 3.4 micron and a coefficient of variation (CV) of 19.4 per cent.
They also paid $2400 for another Merino ram with 19 micron wool.
The Hazels currently run 1050 ewes with a 19.5 micron average, which have just finished lambing.
It would not be a Merino sale without the support of Alan and Mercia Ferguson, “Ventura”, Pilliga, who have found the productive performance of Gullendah rams most effective within their self-replacing flock. This year the Fergusons bought four Merino rams, paying $2400 twice.
Nick Knowles, Lechdale Partnership, Wellington, purchased four rams, with a top of $2400, averaging $1950.
The Bell family, “The Hermitage”, Geurie, bought five rams to $2000, to average $1320 and Paul Vernon, “Gunners Dam”, Wellington, returned to buy two Poll Merino rams, paying a top of $2000.
The Robertson family, Rossbridge, Victoria, purchased three Poll Merino rams, top of $2400 and averaged $2000.
The Coady family, “Carinya”, Yeoval, bought two Poll Merino rams, topping at $2400 and three Dohne rams averaging $2750 and topping at $3000 twice. The Lees family from Lightning Ridge, bought four Poll Merino rams to average $1650 and two Dohne rams averaging $2625. The sale was conducted by Landmark Wilson Russ, Warren, with Paul Dooley, Tamworth, the guest auctioneer.
