Tough seasonal conditions starting to affect prime lamb stud ram sales

Tough seasonal conditions have had an impact on this year's Burando Southdowns annual ram sale.

Stud co-principal Tim Fincham, Burando, said that while there was a low clearance at his fifth sale at the Yea Showgrounds, "it wasn't bad, given the conditions."

The sale hit a top price of $4500 for lot 6, which went to Red Gum Southdowns, Winchelsea.

"The ram was good enough for that (price); he is a really good sheep," Mr Fincham said.

The sale averaged $1230 in clearing 26 of 52 of the rams offered.

Last year, the stud reached a top price of $3000, was near total clearance, and averaged $995.

"It goes with the season, " Mr Fincham said.

"There are a lot of people starting to do it hard - there's clients out Ballarat way, who are carting water, and around Junee, NSW, they are getting into drought conditions.

"It is what it is - it's probably not a bad sale, really, given the conditions.

"Even though lamb prices are good, people won't buy rams in a drought scenario; they hold on to the last minute."

The sale topper, lot 6, was a July 2023-drop animal sired by Kirkdale 210020 out of Burando 21019.

He had a birthweight (BWT) of 0.25 kilograms, a weaning weight (WWT) of 8.5kg and post-weaning weight of 12.4kg.

The ram's intramuscular fat measurement (IMF) was -0.21, while his post-weaning eye muscle depth was 0.2 millimetres.

He had a post-weaning fat depth of -0.1mm and a terminal carcase production index (TCP) of 113.4.

Mr Fincham said Burando had kept a semen share in the ram.

"He has an outstanding depth of body, he was 107kg, he is a twin and a very easy-doing sheep," he said.

Rams went to Bairnsdale, Warragul, Winchelsea, Bendigo, locally and to Tumut and Berrigan, NSW.

Red Gum Southdowns stud principal Zac Wojtowicz, Winchelsea, said he liked the ram's "type".

"He is real square and solid, with a big hindquarter on him, was one of the main reasons - it was a bit hard to pass up, when he was as good as he was," Mr Wojtowicz said.

He hoped the ram would produce some "good, meaty stud sheep".

It was the only ram he had bought this season.

"I'm only a small stud," he said.

"It's been a tough year, but they come around in cycles, and you just have to take it as it comes, really.

"This year is quite tough, but the next two or three might be excellent, so you just have to plan ahead; that's the whole thing with stud breeding."

Mr Fincham said banning live exports in Western Australia had knocked confidence in the industry.

"It affects everyone; what it has done is put negativity in last year, and there is a lot of uncertainty out there with the government and agriculture," he said.

"If you haven't got the government backing agriculture, then it's for exports, for an island.

"Agriculture has always been very solid; we have lost manufacturing, and now they want to tear down agriculture in certain parts. It's separate, but it does affect everyone down the line."

There would be a shortage of lamb because the western district had been in drought, and many producers had gone out of sheep and into cropping and cattle, he said.

"The wheel will change, it always does, lamb has only had a couple of tough years, really," he said.

"Ram and bull sellers are the ones to cop it, first and last, until it picks up."