Glen Holme Dohne and Poll Merino rams head to Loxton and beyond
Despite missing a number of regular clients, Glen Holme's on-property ram sale at Manoora last week drew some strong bidding action.
In a flurry of bids, Brent Farr of Loxton took home lot 58, a Dohne Merino, for the top price of $3000.
Lot 58, a twin, weighing in at 82.5 kilogram, was in the Dohne Australian Sheep Breeding Values top 5 per cent for yearling staple length (8.5), top 10pc for early breech wrinkle (-0.5) and late dag (-0.28), while his yearling eye muscle depth score (1.3) and Dohne plus index (168.2) were both in the top 20pc.
Mr Farr said this particular ram caught his eye due to the wool it carried.
"I'm looking to try and put them back over a first-cross Dohne," Mr Farr said.
"I've bought these Dohne rams to start self-replacing again, rather than putting too many White Suffolks over my ewes."
Across two properties the Farrs run Merinos (at his parents) and first-cross Dohnes.
Mr Farr said they typically ran 2200 ewes but the drought meant they had reduced their stock numbers to 1200.
He also took the top Poll Merino, lot 64 for $1200.
Mr Farr took six rams to an average of $1800, while another volume buyer was TA&DH Philp, Peterborough, who also bought six rams at an average of $1000.
Buxton Ag, Naracoorte, bought five rams, averaging $1680, and DM Haby, through Platinum Adelaide, bought five, averaging $1080.
In the sale breakdown, 34 of 46 Dohnes sold to $3000, averaging $1405, while 13 of 23 Poll Merinos sold to $1200, averaging $1015.
In total, 47 of 69 rams sold, averaging $1300.
Glen Holme principal Allen Kelly said a couple of key clients were missing from this year's sale - mainly due to the drought - which he felt had an impact on the final result.
"The Dohnes sold better and that's a testament to our client base," Mr Kelly said.
"We believe in providing good information so that the buyers can make wise, informed selections with confidence.
"This is the cleanest line of grass fed rams we have been able to present - it's a nice change to have excess grass."
The sale was conducted by Nutrien and Australian Wool Network.
Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Gordon Wood commended the Kelly family on the rams they had presented in the tough climatic conditions.
"The performance data and measuring these guys are doing on the Glen Holme sheep is second to none," Mr Wood said.
"Their drive to better their sheep for their clientele is fantastic, they traverse the nation trying to find the genetics that are going to improve their flock and improve their clients'."
