Big turnaround in interest at Bundara Downs' summer ram lamb sale
Bundara Downs' ninth annual ram lamb sale at Western Flat was one of its most successful clearance wise, especially on the White Suffolk and Suffolk offerings.
Last Friday, in a huge turnaround in fortunes, Steve and Ros, Greg and Selena Funke sold 117 of 177 rams for a $1197 average.
In the breakdown, 94 of 97 White Suffolks averaged $1173, eight of 10 Suffolks averaged $1625 and 14 of 41 Poll Dorsets averaged $1114.
Surprisingly there was no interest in the 29 UltraWhite ram lambs.
In 2025, only 33 of 173 White Suffolk, Poll Dorset and Suffolk ram lambs sold for a $948 average.
This time a sale high of $3500 was reached three times, which the Funke family had set prior to the sale as the reserve price for any stud transfer.
Elders Kingston SE agent Darryl Napper put in the winning bid for lot 12 on behalf of his brother-in-law and sister, Phillip and Velda Hagge,r and their son Timothy, Twowyn stud, Jamestown.
Mr Napper said the stud had used Bundara Downs sires previously but were looking for a replacement after the last one was bitten by a snake.
"We like them because they are fast growing and early maturing," he said.
Also appealing, according to Mr Napper, was the April drop ram lamb's outcross genetics being sired by Langley Heights 2300869.
The sale topper's LAMBPLAN figures included a eye muscle depth of 3.3 and Terminal Carcase Production index of 156.5.
Bundara Downs' spring ram sale is often dominated by online bids but this time these were only two lots sold through AuctionsPlus, despite more than 2500 catalogue views.
These were the two top-priced Suffolk rams which both sold to Tas studs for $3500.
Lot 144, the youngest Suffolk to be offered, a mid-July drop, sold to Cote Hele stud, Deloraine, while a few lots later Noble Lee stud, Campania, secured lot 151, a late June drop son of Lamont Park 230127.
Despite the stud interest the strength of the sale was a few volume orders from SA and Vic.
HB Farms, Minimay, Vic, led the charge with 21 White Suffolks for a $1005 average, while Scullion Farming, Apsley, Vic, and Hynam, took home 12 White Suffolks for a $1200 average.
McCarthy Livestock, Lucindale, also bought 12 White Suffolks for a $1092 average.
The volume Suffolk buyer was Malcolm Schaefer, Lake Ada, Kingscote, with six rams at $1000 each.
Bundara Downs stud's Greg Funke said the season had turned around in spring last year which had given breeders more opportunities to mate ewe lambs and begin to rebuild their numbers.
"We used to sell a lot of rams privately this time of year so decided to have a sale," he said.
"It is pretty opportunistic, some years there is not much demand but if we are having a good spring people tend to mate their ewe lambs.
"We knew a few of our clients were switching over to White Suffolks and that has shown in the result."
Elders SA stud stock manager Tony Wetherall, who shared the auctioneering duties with Laryn Gogel, said it was a "solid result" to sell 117 ram lambs.
"There was strong local competition and a good crowd, probably the best crowd we have had for a number of years," he said.
Mr Wetherall said buying ram lambs was often good value compared to buying older rams at spring sales.
"People come here to get good quality at a price and I think the buzz in the shed was pretty solid just waiting for the season to go with us this year," he said.
Bundara Downs has a big year ahead with four more sales scheduled for 2026.
The next one is its biennial mated ewe sale on Friday, March 27, with 160 White Suffolk, Poll Dorset and UltraWhite ewes on offer. They will lamb from mid May onwards.
