MOVING their sale three weeks earlier has paid off for Greg and Christine Healey and family of the Mt Bathurst Poll Dorset stud, Black Springs, with volume buyers from the Central West driving the average at their annual ram sale up by $556 today.
Overall 63 of 78 rams were sold under the hammer to a top of $2750 and average of $1687. This was up from a $1131 average in last year's sale.
Local volume buyers Swatchfield Pty Ltd, Black Springs, accounted for 47 per cent of the draft, purchasing 30 rams at a $1575 average.
Owned by John Baxter and managed by Brendan Preston, Swatchfield runs 6000 first-cross ewes as part of its mixed farming system which also consists of 1000 Angus breeders of Gilmandyke, Millah Murrah and Lawsons blood.
The enterprise is focused on breeding suckers with lambs are sold both over the hooks and through the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange (CTLX), Carcoar.
"We were looking for early maturing sheep to get lambs off quicker, and the local product... they are acclimatised and we like to support local," Mr Baxter said.
"We have purchased from here previously a few years ago, so have returned."
The $2750 top-priced ram sold to first-time buyer Brett Moorhead, Georges Plains, as part of his draft of two which averaged $2375. Running 240 first-cross ewes, all second-cross lambs are sold through CTLX.
Mt Bathurst 73-21 was the sale-topper which was a May 2021-drop son of Hillden 410-18 which weighed 105.5 kilograms with an eye muscle depth of 45 millimetres and eye muscle area of 30.02 square centimetres.
His good body size attracted Mr Moorhead, with Greg Healey commenting he was a good all round ram which should have gone to Bendigo.
For the second consecutive year, the Gilbert family of The Grove, Trunkey Creek, purchased the Cancer Council charity ram which sold for $2500.
He was Mt Bathurst 22-21, a May-drop son of Hillden 77 which weighed 92.5kg with a 42mm EMD and 29.34 sq cm EMA.
The Healey family began donating the proceeds of one lot in their sale annually after one of their family members were diagnosed with cancer five years ago.
Buyer Geoffrey Gilbert said purchasing the ram is a way they can contribute each year, as they understand the importance of charities such as the Cancer Council, having lost parents to cancer.
"The money goes to a good cause," he said.
In total the Gilberts purchased three rams at a $2250 average. They are long-term supporters of the Mt Bathurst program having bought rams each year since the stud commenced its sale in 2010 and prior to this privately.
Other volume buyers were Julucy Pty Ltd, Adelong, with 12 rams at a $1646 average.
Mt Bathurst co-principal Greg Healey said they were happy with the support of the sale, and the change of date worked in their favour.
"Moving the date worked out well... but it made it hard to finish the rams in the climate we are in," he said.
"We lamb later here, because of the weather, therefore they are younger sheep and that is why we had a later sale," Christine Healey said.
"We moved it forward three weeks because producers in the Central West region usually have their rams out before we have our sale (which is usually the first Thursday in November)."
Mr Healey said rams sold to a wide area including Adelong, Bombala, Ilford and locally.
The sale was conducted by Bowyer & Livermore, Bathurst with Nick Fogarty taking bids from the rostrum.
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