Nine-month-old heavyweight ram tops Ardene Australian White summer sale

A nine-month-old triplet ram weighing a whopping 94.5 kilograms was the highlight of today's Ardene Australian White summer sale at Mount Torrens.

The lot 3 ram in the stud ram offering was snapped up by Rod Donnell, Beeamma Whites, Western Flat, for $5000.

The South East stud breeder sells about 20 rams a year by private selection and said he would set aside the sale-topper, sired by a Tattykeel ram, to join with good young ewes next year.

He said the ram's weight-for-age had immediately grabbed his attention.

It also had an eye muscle depth of 44 millimetres and a fat depth of 5.5mm.

"I think he's going to be better than his sire," Mr Donnell said.

"He's a terrific headed ram and has all the attributes of his sire but with better bone about him. He's got width, length and thickness.

"We're a meat breed and this is what we aim for.

"He's also a triple and that weight at nine-months-old is exceptional for a triplet."

Mr Donnell also bought two stud ewes at $1000 apiece - one was scanned in lamb to twins and the other to a single.

"They were two full shedders and both great ewes," he said.

It was a subdued sale overall, with drought in SA not helping the clearance rate.

Two of five stud rams sold, averaging $4500. In the flock ram offering, 17 of 74 rams sold, averaging $1265, and two of 23 stud ewes sold.

The volume buyer was DJ Groth, through Elders Keith, who bought five rams averaging $1500.

Ardene prinicpal Bruce Hodgson said modest buyer activity was understandable given the season.

The stud will continue to sell rams privately throughout the year and will consider offering some in their spring sale later in the year.

Ardene also announced that Ally, Bruce and Jannie's daughter, would begin managing the stud as part of succession.

The sale was conducted by Nutrien Fawcett Livestock Mount Pleasant and Elders, with Elders' Ben Finch the auctioneer.