Poll Dorsets top at $5000, averaging 2057 for 42 rams

Abelene Park co-principal Marshall Douglas said the sale team had come through the winter very well and was proud to present a stylish and commercially-relevant line of sheep that will compete at a high level.

"There's plenty of potential still in the lamb market, particularly if they are well-bred," he said.

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Ben and Trevor Atkinson, Fairlight on the eastern side of Narrabri, were the buyers of the equal top-priced ram. The Atkinsons have a small Poll Dorset stud of pure Abelene Park bloodlines and privately sell about 40 rams a year.

"Of the first six rams in the catalogue, this one stood out for us, Mr Atkinson said. "It was rated second in the eye muscle depth, and plenty of muscle and muscle is what is making money in lamb production," he said.

"He had a lovely clean shoulder and a nice open face. Many of our rams go over Merino ewes, and we don't want a muffled-faced lamb that is susceptible to grass seeds.

"He was a triplet lamb and sired by Silk, which has a style we liked a lot."

The ram was an August 2021 drop and weighed 108 kilograms on sale day. It had a Lambplan ASBV for the post-weaning weight (PWT) of 9.9 and a birthweight (BWT) ASBV of 0.18. the ram's post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) was 1.3.

Mr Douglas said Silk's first son offered through the stud's sale last year sold for the second top price of $6600. Two more sons of Silk won intermediate champion and reserve champion awards at the Australian Dorset championships at Bendigo in August. They sold for $15,000 and $11,000 respectively.

Grant and Peter McIlveen, Clinton, Gunnedah bought the other $5000 ram, also sired by Silk, which weighed 113kg at almost 14 months old.

Grant McIlveen said during the 2019 drought; he'd bought the Braemar Poll Dorset prefix and flock from the stud's former owner, who had decided to dispose of the sheep because they could not carry on.

He said his new sire would be used in the small flock of 80 to 90 ewes, from which he sells rams privately.

"I was happy to get him; we were chasing a son of the Silk ram last year," Mr McIlveen said.

"He has good style and plenty of flesh, and we're delighted with its confirmation. We also bought a couple of ewes to give him some company on the trip home. We got a couple of ewes last year, and one has grown out really well, giving us beautiful twin lambs."

Volume buyer of the sale was Gay Bowler and her daughter Emily Stirling and son-in-law Murray, Wheatacres Partnership, Bithramere. They bought seven rams to $2400 for an average of $1340.

Wheatacres Partnership was recently the Jason Goodwin Memorial Shield winner at the Tamworth Livestock Selling Agents Association (TSLAA) Spring Lamb Show and Sale. Wheatacres showed the grand champion pen of lambs, the extra heavy/export category winners, 50 kilograms plus class, and had been finished on barley in feeders while grazing on forage oat crops.

Wahnica Partnership, Danica, Looomberah bought five rams to $2600, averaging $2160. Their top-priced ram was a June 2021-drop on of Aldi, with an ASBV PWT of 11.6 and weighed 144kg.

Clive Barton and his father, Col, Barton Partnership, Dunreath, Gowrie, bought four rams to $2400, twice and averaging $1700. The two top-priced rams were from the Poll Dorset section of the catalogue, while the other two rams were composite-bred. One ram was 50 per cent Charolais and 25pc White Suffolk and 25pc Poll Dorset, while the other was 75 pc Charolais and 25pc Poll Dorset.

Mr Barton has been working on a composite line of sires for his ewes, including East Friesian, Texel and Prime Line genetics. He aims to add wool quality to his composite sires on top of great carcase traits.

Other volume buyers included Rob Carey, Shannon View Bective with three rams to $2400, averaging $1466; Mawarra Pastoral Company, Guyra with a ram for $2400 and two ewes averaging $700; Howard Webster, Sandholme, Weabonga with a Poll Dorset/White Suffolk composite ram at $2400 and overall three rams average $1466. John McQueen, Loomberah bought four rams to $2200 twice, averaging $2000.

The selling agents were McCulloch Agencies, Tamworth with Daniel McCulloch, the auctioneer.