Kurralea White Suffolk and Poll Dorsets clear 346 rams to $16,000

In the Poll Dorset wrap up, 21 stud rams topped at $10,000 to average $4357,150 flock rams sold to a top of $2600, averaging $1924, while 17 White Suffolk stud rams topped the day at $16,000, averaging $5441, 150 White Suffolk flock rams sold to $3000 tops and averaged $1836 and eight Suffolk rams averaged $1200.

The top ram Kurralea 312-20, was a June drop son of the Anden 101-18 sire, with a moderate birth weight figure, coupled with a good balance of performance data to 1.6 eye muscle depth.

The ram was bought online by The Hull Family, Kattata Well Stud, Streaky Bay SA

The two top Poll Dorset sires were purchased by local buyer David Ingram, Hill View Poll Dorset stud, Mirrool, for $10,000 and $9000 respectively.

The top ram was an outcross for Mr Ingram in the Ulandi Park 151-17 sire, who said he had a good mix of new genetics to help them produce rams that will breed good fat lambs for our clients.

The second of his rams was by the record breaking $32,000 Kurralea 140-18 sire, that packed a heap of performance and punch at $9000 with a 2.0 EMD.

James and Dimity Comb, Manfred White Suffolk stud, Hay, paid $13,000 and $9000 for two new sires for their parents Doug and Leanne who was unable to attend.

Ms Comb said they were two very classy rams, thick with sound structure, offering a great carcase type ram for what we are trying to produce for our Hay clients.

"Both rams will pack a heap of punch and put it all into their progeny," she said.

Flock ram buyers settled in after the stud ram action was over, with Justin Campbell, Australian Food and Agriculture, Deniliquin, again setting the pace buying 46 Poll Dorset rams at $1800 apiece and 25 White Suffolk rams at a $1584 average.

James Osborne, Australian Wool Network, Deniliquin, bought 18 White Suffolk rams for Carrington Properties Pty Ltd, Euroa, Victoria, averaging $1744, to put over a large selection of Merino ewes.

Mr Osborne said he liked buying here as the sale offered a great depth in ram numbers.

Brendan and Robert Foster, Mirrool, had bought here since 1970 and secured 16 Poll Dorset rams at $1962.

The Fosters run 1500 first cross ewes, producing 25 to 27kg dressed suckers for the Wagga Wagga lamb market, of which recently sold to $290

Mr Foster said they grow about a third out and shear them and take them through to 30 plus kilograms dressed for sale or have the option to feedlot them," he said.

Matthew Dart, DB Agriculture, Ariah Park, bought seven Poll Dorset rams averaging $2114 and four White Suffolk rams at $2125, chasing high growth rate rams to produce supermarket, trade weight lambs.

Mr Dart produces 22 to 26kg dressed lambs to Woolworths, by putting the Poll Dorset rams over the young ewes and the White Suffolks over his older ewes in his 4500 ewe Dohne Merino flock.

"All suckers have sold and are gone this year, turning off 325 grams per day growth at weaning and performing really well for us," he said.

Matt and Bronwyn Ryan, "Bonoak", Harden, bought 12 White Suffolk rams averaging $2150, of which they studied all 150 rams and broke them down to the 20 rams on the day they wanted to have a crack at.

Mr Ryan said we buy based off the figures, but like to make sure the rams match the data on the day.

"We were chasing rams with low fats, length and good eye muscles, without high birth weights to put over Merino ewes ," he said.

The Ryan's sell direct to Coles at Gundagai, aiming to turn the suckers off at three to four months at 25kg, with all lambs gone off their crops by September so they can lock them up.

DJ and LJ Frankel, Tullibigeal, loaded seven Poll Dorset rams at $2186 and eight White Suffolks at $1913, while Dugald McIndoe, Smithton Farms, Glencoe, bought three Poll Dorset rams to $8000 and seven White Suffolk rams averaging $3029.

Rounding out the sale, Harvey Oxford pastoral, Wagga, averaged $1978 for nine rams, Bellarwi pastoral, Barmedman, bought 10 at $1810, Mannus Correctional Facility, Mannus bought 12 at $2200 and Foylewood Farming Company, Ariah Park, secured 10 at $2100.

The sale was conducted by Elders, Ray White GTSM and Wilks McKean, with Michael Glasser, Matt Tinkler and Joe Wilks as auctioneers.