New stud client bids up on Illoura White Suffolk ram

Kurrabi Park Sheep Stud owners Mark and Karen Dennis were so impressed by the genetics Illoura had on display at the Adelaide Show, they made a special trip to Moorlands for the stud's on-property White Suffolk flock ram sale on Thursday.

The first-time buyers were successful on two lots, including the sale's top price ram at $4200, averaging $3600.

The top ram at lot 6 was a July 2024-drop weighing 118.5 kilograms. It had Australian Sheep Breeding Values of 12.04 weaning weight, 20.87 post-weaning weight, 2.2 post-eye muscle depth, Terminal Carcase Production Index figure of 159.2, and Lamb Eating Quality Index of 155.29.

The Eyre Peninsula breeders from Koppio said Illoura rams had traits that they were chasing, including being "very even, reasonable muscling, good eating quality, and reasonable growth rates".

"We are hoping both rams take our figures forward in our flock, add a bit more height," Mr Dennis said.

Long time clients, the Leach family, Fitzpatrick Pastoral, Walpeup, Vic, kicked off the sale strong, buying lot 1 at $4000 - the sale's equal second highest price. They went home with four rams, averaging $2950.

While fellow stud She-Oak Lodge, Mount Hope, bought the other $4000 ram in a sole purchase.

The sale started very strongly, with only 10 lots passed-in by the 180th ram offered, but ran out of buyers by the 210 mark, with agents calling time on the Piggott family's 250-head offering.

The 188 rams that sold averaged $1135 - a slight increase on the 2024 sale - with more sold immediately post-sale.

Multiple volume buyers supported the sale, with Bruce Creek operating on behalf of McFarlane Pastoral, Weillington, taking home 20 rams to $2000, averaging $1130, while Ronnie Dix operating on behalf of Nicolai Farms, Stewarts Range, bought 24 averaging $762.50.

Mr Creek said the rams would be used to produce prime lamb mothers, a Merino/White Suffolk-cross ewe, to "get more lambs on the ground".

"They are good eye muscle, easy-doing rams and we keep getting repeat buyers back for the progeny," he said.

Mr Dix said his client had been very happy with rams previously bought at Illoura.

"They are very good indexing rams, good structures, and they seem to perform for those who buy them as store lambs," he said.

"The rams will run with his classed out Merino ewes in mid-December - a date he has pushed out from mid-October in the hope of a better lambing on green feed."

Booderoo Partners, Coomandook, bought 18 rams to $1800, averaging $1017; LG&AL Braun, Loxton, returned to buy 10 averaging $930; while West Creek Partners, Strathalbyn, bought 10 averaging $810.

Illoura stud principal Allan Piggott said the sale result was as expected, with the ewe reduction across the state.

There were 40 registered buyers, with only one client going home empty-handed.

"The sale started well, with a couple of really good stud sales, including a new buyer," Mr Piggott said.

"But certainly our northern clients are back on ewe numbers and don't need rams, which is where it affected us today."

Mr Piggott was hopeful demand would return after ewe sales later in the year, with their rams offering growth and positive fats.

"Hopefully we can move some more of these before Christmas," he said.

The sale was conducted by Elders and Nutrien, and was interfaced on AuctionsPlus.