Cunnamulla buyer secures top-priced Dorper ram at Bulmar and Prieska sale
A late addition to the catalogue attracted interstate competition at the first Bulmar and Prieska production sale held on-property at Gregra, Manildra, on September 24.
In past years, both studs sold through the multi-vendor Dorper and White Dorper sale held at Peak Hill, but this year Bulmar stud principal Bully Malherbe and his family decided to offer their rams on their own property.
In total, the studs sold 21 of 38 Dorper rams to a top of $5000 and an average of $2000, six of 17 White Dorper rams to $2000, averaging $1583, while in the Ultrawhite line-up, 18 of 23 rams sold to $2750 to average $1680.
A further seven White Dorper and Ultrawhite rams were sold after the auction.
Mr Malherbe was happy with the result with plenty of first-time buyers in attendance.
Bidding online from Queensland, repeat buyer Grant Bredhauer of Darrawong Pastoral, Darrawong Station, Cunnamulla, purchased the top-priced Dorper ram, Bulmar 220265-D, for the company's large commercial flock.
Sired by Kaya B Double, the twin-born, April 2022-drop ram weighed a hefty 130 kilograms with a weaning weight of 39kg and a post-weaning weight of 68kg.
Mr Malherbe described the sale-topping ram as a highly functional, mobile sheep with plenty of meat.
"He's a sheep with length, leg and a lot of balance," he said.
The ram has already been used in the Bulmar breeding program, with Mr Malherbe to retain the option to collect 200 doses of semen.
According to Mr Bredhauer, it was the ram's pedigree that first caught his attention.
"We're always busy lamb marking at this time of year, so we went down to Bulmar in August to look at the young sale rams, and he was penned as well when we were there," he said.
"I wanted the different bloodline and I thought he'd complement the ewes we have by a Dell Dorper ram we bought for $50,000 in 2020.
"The new ram looks very sound, and we'll put him straight in with a mob of 620 ewes when he arrives."
Based south of Cunnamulla, Darrawong Pastoral currently runs about 11,000 Dorper breeding ewes, and are building numbers slowly, depending on the season. In total, Mr Bredhauer secured five Dorper rams through StockLive for an average of $2400.
Another Qld buyer was P and K Cheal of Emerald, who took home three Dorper rams, paying to $2500, while volume repeat buyer in the Dorpers was M and V Sheridan, Prairie Station, Bourke, who bought 14 rams online for an average of $1803. They paid the second top of $2750 for Bulmar 240271-D, a 94kg ram sired by Bulmar D Double.
First-time buyers at the sale were A and S Hague, Lake Cargellico, who bought four White Dorper rams, paying to $2000.
Solid bidding continued in the Ultrawhites, with Kennedy Family Pastoral Co, Nyngan, paying the top of $2750 for Bulmar 240997-UW, a twin-born February 2024-drop ram, weighing 123kg. They also took home another ram for $2250.
Volume buyer in the run of Ultrawhites was Marda Partnership, Lake Cargellico, selecting eight rams for an average of $1500, while new buyer at the Bulmar stud and local producer JA Sullivan, Manildra, took home three rams.
Elders Dubbo conducted the sale, with Martin Simmons as the auctioneer. StockLive provided the online interface.
