Number one shedding breed in country to be showcased at National sale in Dubbo

Seventeen studs from Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia will present their sheep for classing at 5pm, on Thursday, with the auction getting underway at 11am on Friday.

Nutrien Ag NSW stud stock manager, John Settree, Dubbo, said the sale would provide a great opportunity for producers to purchase the best of the Dorper and White Dorper genetics in Australia.

"There will be 48 Dorper and 41 White Dorper rams, and of the vendors that we've got coming, it's the best of what the Dorper and White Dorper breed offer," he said.

Numbers are down slightly compared to last year due to the drier seasonal conditions, according to Mr Settree.

"The central west and western district of NSW is just a little bit dry. In terms of buying, the market and the season dictates that it will be a cheaper market, but that allows the opportunity for people to buy those better end genetics and rams/ewes to invest back into their own flock."

Mr Settree said the Dorpers had established themselves as "the number one shedding breed in the country".

"They just do it so well: they thrive in dry times and are fantastic in the good times. You get a ewe back in lamb all the time, and carcase wise, the Dorper breed in itself has concentrated on a lot more carcase, shape and yield. That's along with all those great maternal values eg fertility, mothering ability, thriving etc."

Rams and ewes will be classed on Thursday evening before the sale by DSSA inspector and judge, Wicus Cronje, which will be livestreamed via AuctionsPlus and the DSSA Facebook page. The sale will also be interfaced with AuctionsPlus.

"There is always interest in a national sale and especially Dorpers in this part of the world: there will be some wide interest from across Australia," Mr Settree said.

"With WA studs coming across, we will certainly get some WA interest, but certainly we expect a lot of interest from throughout the pastoral and semi arid areas of western NSW, WA, Qld and SA, where the Dorpers are kings. But in saying that there are a lot of Dorpers in the 28-33 inch rainfall country too. They are a very adaptable breed."

DSSA executive officer, Kate Officer, said all sale animals would be vet checked, classed by an inspector, weighed, and rams scanned for EMD and Fat. A supplementary sheet will be available on the AuctionsPlus sale listing after the classing.