Willangie's Anden White Suffolk and UltraWhite sheep sell to near-total clearance

In a huge offering of 252 White Suffolk and UltraWhite rams and ewes, all but 12 sold, with the top price of the sale being achieved for a White Suffolk stud ram at $10,000.

The total clearance of 20 White Suffolk stud rams averaged $3300, while the 95 of 99 White Suffolk flock rams sold to $2200 and averaged $1461, and the 12 of 19 White Suffolk ewes reached $1400 and averaged $1016.

All but one of the stud's 114 UltraWhite rams sold to a top price of $7500 and average price of $2743.

Anden stud principal Andrew Donnan said he was pleased with how strong the sale was throughout.

Mr Donnan has been breeding White Suffolks for 33 years and UltraWhites for 12, and said the UltraWhites were growing in popularity.

"The UltraWhites were a lot stronger this year because they're a shedding breed and you don't have to shear them," he said.

"That easy-care, easy-maintenance side of them is making them very appealing, particularly given the issues sourcing labour at the moment."

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He said there were 10 new buyers at the sale looking for UltraWhite rams.

"We increase our numbers each year and we're getting the same clients coming back and some extra ones too," he said.

"Those ones that are coming back are some of the best lamb producers in the Mallee."

He said given he had been breeding White Suffolks for so long, the people buying those rams were mostly return clients.

He said the quality of the White Suffolks this year was excellent.

"They were really strong all the way through," he said.

"We had a few people commenting on how good the structure of all the sheep was, and that the feet and legs were terrific."

The buyer of the top-priced ram was Paul Routley, Almondvale Poll Merino and White Suffolk stud, Urana, NSW.

Mr Routley didn't get a chance to see the ram in person, but having bought from Anden for many years, and having "a lot of success", he was confident in his purchase.

He also relied on the experienced eye of his Elders agent Jon Sutherland, who bid on his behalf.

He said the ram was "built extremely well".

"He is shaped perfectly, we're not going to have any lambing problems with his progeny," he said.

"He's got a great outlook on him and comes from some very good pedigree."

The June 2021-drop ram, Lot 27, 21-0228, was sired by Farrer-190111 and out of Anden-180278.

It recorded figures of a 0.57 birth weight, 14.74 weaning weight, 22.72 post-weaning weight, and intramuscular fat of -0.09.

Mr Routley joins 850 White Suffolk ewes and said this ram would go out with a specific mob.

"We will join him to a particular bloodline to try and get the best out of him," he said.

"We will have semen for sale too."

Brendon Duncan, Glen Park Whites and UltraWhites, Wentworth, NSW, not only purchased the top-priced UltraWhite ram of the sale at $7500, but also a second at $7000 and two others at $4000 each.

Mr Duncan has purchased from Anden the last two years and said they had performed well.

"They are good, safe sheep that can walk with plenty of weight," he said.

He said the top-priced ram was a very good sheep with correct structure and length.

Mr Duncan sells close to 600 commercial rams a year, which all have an UltraWhite infusion in them.

He agreed the breed had a strong future ahead.

"They're a no-brainer given the shearer shortage at the moment," he said.

"Particularly up in our pastoral company, no one's keen to take up a handpiece."

He said the ram would get "worked well" in a breeding program with about 100 pure UltraWhite ewes.

Elders stud stock agent Ross Milne said it was a solid sale with a great clearance.

"There was a strong mix of new and old clients," he said.

Mr Milne said the Anden program was continuing to grow.

"They breed a good run of rams with commercially-relevant data to support them," he said.

"Even though it's been very wet, the sheep certainly stood up to the wetter-than-usual conditions that were in front of them."