Kentish Downs Poll Dorset rams av $3050

When opening the sale, Mr Wilson pointed out it might be the last ram sale for the spring selling season, but it was the first opportunity for prime lamb producers to buy autumn-drop 2021 ram lambs.

"We believe in the quality of the sheep that we breed, but more importantly we strive to breed sheep that are easy to manage, functional and efficient and have a good balance of breeding values," he noted in the catalogue.

"We have an extensive breeding and performance recording program which combines selection of the best quality sheep using both visual and LAMBPLAN data to produce rams of the highest quality.

The sale realised a top price of $4400, while the sale averaged $3050 for the 174 rams sold.

The top priced ram was purchased by Goorama Pty Ltd, Galong, for a seven month old son of Bundarra Downs 181548.

The ram's LAMBPLAN figures indicated 153.4 Terminal Carcase Production (TCP), 147.1 Eating Quality (EQ), 0.42 birthweight (BWT), 11.5 weaning weight (WWT), 18.4 post weaning weight (PWWT), -0.7 Pfat, 3.0 PEMD and 3.0 Lean Meat Yield (LMY).

Stud manager Will Sullivan described the ram has having 'beautiful all-round figures with a great body.'

"He is structurally sound and for his age he carries himself very well," Mr Sullivan said.

"He is going to grow into a terrific ram, and will serve the prime lamb industry well."

Equal second top price at $4200 was a seven month old son of Pepperton 180339 (ranked No 1 Poll Dorset sire in LAMBPLAN for post weaning eye muscle depth) and purchased through AuctionsPlus.

Jasper Bowman from Kentish Downs described the sire prospect as 'a good solid ram with great figures."

"His eating quality is tremendous and the lean meat yield is outstanding," he said.

"And combined with plenty of length and depth of body."

The rams LAMBPLAN figures showed 161.1 TCP and 156.8 EQ (both in top one pc), 0.41 BWT, 12.1 WWT, 17.7 PWWT, -0.1 Pfat, 4.5 PEMD (top one pc) and 4.5 LMY.

The other equal second top price ram was bought by return client Harry Cook, Harefield.

His sire prospect, another son of Pepperton 180339 had the LAMBPLAN figures of 156.5 TCP, 149.5 EQ, 0.27 BWT, 10.2 WWT, 16.3 (PWWT), -0.2 Pfat, 4.2 PEMD (top one pc) and 4.2 LMY.

Mr Cook consider his pick of the draft to have good figures and stretch of body.

"I could see his great potential for our Merino enterprise where we join the classed out ewes to terminal rams," he said.

"His low birthweight and high growth rate is what I was looking for and when I saw him I was determined to buy him."

The sale was settled by Ray White GTSM, Wodonga, with Michael Glasser and James Brown sharing the gavel and was supported by AuctionsPlus.

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