Lamb industry lustre boosts averages at Abelene Park Poll Dorset sale
The strength of the prime lamb market paid direct dividends at the Abelene Park Poll Dorset and White Suffolk ram sale on Thursday, September 24, with an almost total clearance of rams and ewes.
In the young Poll Dorset ram catalogue, 42 of 43 rams sold to a top of $6700, averaging $1990, while three 2023 sires averaged $1300. In the Poll Dorset ewes, 15 of 15 sold to a top of $900 six times, averaging $750, while nine of nine White Suffolk rams sold to $1800, averaging $1444. The only ram passed in was sold shortly after the sale was settled.
The result was a marked improvement on last year's corresponding sale, where 39 of 42 Poll Dorset rams sold to an average of $1471 and 12 of 20 Poll Dorset ewes sold for $700 each.
A buyer at Abelene Park for about 20 years, Rory Ryan, Gillmour Poll Dorsets, Yeoval, bought the top-priced ram in a keen bidding duel with a commercial lamb breeder from Walcha.
Sired by Valley Vista 79-21, Abelene Park 146, weighed 126 kilograms and was lambed on August 7, and was a triplet from an artificial insemination joining.
Its data from the Lambplan ASBVs was notable, Mr Ryan said, as well as its length, shoulder and its sire lineage offered a new sire line to his flock.
Its birthweight ASBV was 0.47, positive weaning weight (PWT) was +9.1 and post weaning eye muscle (PEMD) was 0.5.
Mr Ryan also paid $4000 for the 150-kilogram AP188, an August 9, single lamb, weighing 150 kg, and easily the biggest ram in the catalogue.
"He was the biggest ram in the shed and is just cutting his lambs' teeth," Mr Ryan said.
AP188 was sired by Hornet AP69-22, the sire of the junior champion ram at last week's Australasian Dorset championships at Bendigo, Victoria. Its ASBVs included a BWT of 0.33, a PWT of +12.6, and a PEMD of 1.7.
Abelene Park had a massively successful trip to Bendigo, selling the top-priced ram AP 111-24, sired by Tattykeel 155-21, for $20,000. It also averaged $15,000 for its team of five rams.
Another buyer of a $4000 ram was Bexta Poll Dorsets, Loomberah, AP3-24, a twin, lambed on April 14. It weighed 117kg and was sired by the Tattykeel T155-21 ram.
GA and TJ McIlveen, Clinton, Gunnedah, upgraded their auction bid of $2800 to $4000 for AP274-24, which made the son of Hornet eligible for stud registration and transfer.
One of the volume buyers was TA and JM Redman, Highlands, Inverell, with seven rams averaging $1500, while the Barton Partnership, Goonoo Goonoo, bought four rams, to a top of $2300, averaging $1900.
The Kirton Partnership, Bilbrookie, Walcha, bought four rams to a top of $3600, averaging $2700, while the Cameron Partnership, Loomberah, bought three rams, averaging $1500.
In the White Suffolk catalogue, RJ and JE Gilham, Hopetoun Park, Boggabri, bought four rams to a top of $1600, averaging $1525, while Kaputar Pastoral, Barraba, bought three rams to the top price of $1800, averaging $1433.
A volume buyer of the ewe catalogue was SM and KG Cassidy, Kingstown, with seven to the top price of $900 six times, averaging $857, while PW and JM Clydsdale, Upper Rouchel, via Scone, bought four ewes to a top price of $800, averaging $650.
The selling agents were McCulloch Agencies, Tamworth, with Alec Clydsdale the auctioneer.
