Milestone marked at Kurralea Studs with full clearance and top rams to Victoria

Buyers chased structurally correct rams at Kurralea Studs' on-property ram sale at Ariah Park on Tuesday, September 30.

The stud marked a milestone, celebrating 50 years of breeding Poll Dorset rams and 25 years of White Suffolks at this year's sale, with a full clearance recorded.

All 332 Poll Dorset and White Suffolk stud and flock rams sold to a top price of $10,000 and for an overall average of $1754.

In the breakdown, 15 Poll Dorset stud rams sold for a top of $10,000 and for an average of $3633, while 136 Poll Dorset flock rams sold to a top of $2750 and for an average of $1612.

In the White Suffolk portion, 15 stud rams hit $6500 and sold for an average of $3133, while 136 flock rams sold to a top of $2750 and for an average of $1538.

The top-priced ram was Kurralea 345-24, which sold for $10,000 to D and L Banks, Valed Poll Dorset stud, Mt Mercer, Victoria.

The June-drop Poll Dorset ram, by Shirlee Downs 002-20 and from Kurralea 482-21, had Lambplan figures of +0.6 for birthweight (BWT), +19.6 for post-weaning weight (PWWT), -1.0 for post-weaning fat (PFAT), +2.6 for post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) and a terminal carcase production (TCP) index of +156.4.

Ben Prentice, Kurralea, said the ram was more of a moderate frame and scaled ram but was very well put together and "a real stud sire".

"Very correct, very bare, clean pointed ram," he said.

The top-priced White Suffolk ram was Kurralea 018-24, which sold for $6500 to Janmac Pastoral, Goroke, Vic.

The May-drop ram, by Farrer 024-21 and from Kurralea 307-22, had figures of +0.4 BWT, +20 PWWT, -0.1 PFAT, +2.1 PEMD and a TCP index of +152.

Grant Hausler, Janmac, said he was a "very classy sheep".

"He's got a lot going for him - a good White Suffolk type and plenty of width and correct," he said.

Mr Hausler said the ram would be going into their White Suffolk stud operation, where they sell about 60 rams a year.

"We're a reasonably small stud but we like to buy the top end of the sales," he said.

Mr Hausler said the family had been buying from Kurralea for decades, including the top-priced ram in 2020.

"Kurralea sheep are very predictable - you know what you get with them," he said.

Mr Prentice said the ram was "very appealing".

"A big, powerful, very well-balanced ram and a good White Suffolk type to go with it," he said.

"Ever since he was a younger ram, he always carried a lot of weight and was one of the heavier ones in the group and carries that weight very well."

A major volume buyer of the sale was Australian Food and Agriculture, which purchased 116 rams for an average of $1403.

Other volume buyers included Shaw Agri Pty Ltd, Gundagai, with 26 rams for an average of $1627, McDonald Bros, Condoblin, took home 18 rams to average $2250, and Foylewood, Ariah Park, purchased 10 rams for an average of $1550.

Mr Prentice said he was very happy to achieve a full clearance, particularly given the tough seasonal conditions and ewe numbers in the area dropping in turn.

"I thought it might have been tougher than it was, but it was very strong and held up well all the way through," he said.

Mr Prentice said repeat buyers were strong, but there were also several new clients.

He said buyers were attracted by strong Lambplan figures throughout the whole catalogue, along with the rams being very even and correct.

The sale was conducted by Elders and AWN Wilks McKean with Ryan Bajada, Elders, and Joe Wilks, AWN, sharing the rostrum.

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