The 17th Annual Annalara Ram and Ewe Sale kicked off with repeat buyers filling the chairs and proving their confidence in the Cresswell family's White Dorpers and Ultra Whites.
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Rams were in strong demand with 97 of 99 White Dorper rams selling to $5000 twice, for an average of $2417, and all 20 Ultra White rams selling to $2000 to average $1675. In the females, three stud ewes all sold for $1000, and three pens of commercial ewes sold to $700 per head to average $407/head.
The first ram to reach the $5000 high was 'Steve's Pick', Annalara 210301 Silence which was purchased by the HW Colless Partnership of Condobolin.
Sired by Amarula 201521, a ram the Cresswell's had purchased for $15,000 at the 2021 Annual Amarula sale, Silence was a single-born September 21-drop ram.
As the only lot to score a perfect 10 on the ClassiMate system, the 87 kilogram ram had a carcase fat depth in the top 20 per cent and a Shear Force at five days in the top 10pc.
Will Colless said Silence was a good solid ram with a loose and light skin and coat.
"We gave him a double tick from the start so we went for it and got him which is good," Mr Colless said.
Looking to improve the shoulders in their flock of White Dorpers, Mr Colless said this ram would do that as his were very good.
"He has a good barrel and a bit of length too," he said.
HW Colless also purchased an additional eight rams for their draft of nine to average $2778 and said they had purchased more rams than needed but the value for quality made it hard to resist picking up a few extras.
Within their self-replacing operation, wethers were sold as weaners and ewes were classed off.
Also reaching the sale high of $5000 was Annalara 210292 Glamour, another September 21-drop ram.
Long time client TJ Pastoral, Goodooga, secured the twin-born son of Amarula 191455.
The 80.5kg ram was in the top 5pc for intramuscular fat, post weaning fat depth, and carcase fat depth, top 10pc for dressing percentage, and top 20 pc for Shear Force after five days and Maternal Weaning Weight.
TJ Pastoral's Tom McCumstie said he had been purchasing from Annalara for over 10 years and plans to continue coming back.
"They are always good honest rams and Steve is always good to deal with," he said.
"Good average figures, a twin, and he looks the part. He is just a good all around ram.
"The stats and figures all match up with how he looks," Mr McCumstie said.
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Securing a draft of 26 rams was Mount View Pastoral Company, Hillston, long term clients that also purchased the top-priced ram at last years sale. The draft topped at $4000 for and averaged $2557.
Mount View Pastoral Company's Ben Laird said "we are getting good results from what we are breeding and what we are selling".
"They seem to get that bit better and more even and consistent each year," he said.
Mr Laird said he had a self-replacing Dorper operation with a constant joining. Lambs were weaned at six to eight months and then sent straight to market.
Additional ram volume buyers included RPM Exports, Dubbo, purchasing 25 rams all for $1500 a piece, GM and JE Ryan, Forbes, with 12 rams averaging $2000, and Lower Plains Livestock, St George, Qld, with 11 rams averaging $2363.
In the ewes, AJ O'Brien from Dubbo bid online and purchased three stud females for $1000 each.
Pens of ewes topped at $700 a head for a group of 14 Ultra White composite stud ewes what were spring 2021-drop's. This pen was purchased online by Clear Creek Pastoral Company, Byawatha, Vic.
SD O'Brien of Bolan, Qld, purchased two pens with 24 and 15 head respectively of the Ultra White composite stud ewes to a top of $500/head.
Elders Stud Stock's Paul Jameson, Dubbo, said it was a very solid sale with out being over the top.
"The clearance was very pleasing and there was good support from the regular clients," Mr Jameson said.
"The number of rams offered was clearly enough to fill the buyers quotas for the year."
The sale was conducted by Elders Dubbo with guest auctioneer Paul Dooley, Tamworth.
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