Soprano sings his way to SA as top-priced ram at Deepdale Dorpers

A larger catalogue met strong demand at the Deepdale Dorpers spring ram sale, held on-property at Merrinee, Vic, on Monday, September 21.

All 151 Dorper and White Dorper rams on offer sold to a top price of $35,500 an for an average of $5429.

In the breakdown, 67 White Dorper rams sold to $35,500 to average $5564 while 84 Dorper rams hit a top of $12,500 to average $5321.

Rams were sold to stud and commercial buyers from Victoria, NSW, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland, with the sale underpinned by strong lamb prices and a good season in the drawing area.

The top-priced ram was Deepdale Soprano 250546, which sold for $35,500 to Janice and Gary Fiegert, Melashdan Dorper and White Dorper stud, Tumby Bay, SA.

The 18-month-old, type 5 White Dorper ram, sired by Deepdale Mafia 230761 and from Deepdale 220589, weighed 93.5 kilograms and scanned an eye muscle depth of 44 millimetres and 6.5mm fat.

He weighed 44.5kg at five months and 76kg at eight months for an average daily gain of 0.19kg.

Mr Fiegert said he was a good ram with plenty of length.

"He's the right type of sheep we want to be breeding," he said.

"We need that cleaner shedding."

Mrs Fiegert said the ram had a lovely covering and was from a bloodline they had been wanting to increase in their breeding.

The Fiegerts run Melashdan stud, with about 600 White Dorper and 500 Dorper stud ewes and will offer about 116 rams at their sale this year.

Mrs Fiegert said they had been having a really good season with plenty of feed and the rams were doing "fantastic".

Mr Fiegert said they had bought rams from Deepdale at every sale, with their stud using only Burrawang and Deepdale genetics for eight years.

The Fiegerts also purchased Deepdale Tony for $10,500.

Sired by Deepdale Zorro 230046 and from Deepdale 231520, the 13-month-old, type 5 Dorper ram weighed 90kg and scanned 43mm EMD and 9mm fat.

He weighed 27kg at three months and 43.5kg at five months for an ADG of 0.23kg.

The top-priced Dorper ram was Deepdale Fort Knox, which sold for $12,500 to Dust'n Rain Dorpers, Pooncarie.

The 30-month-old, type 5 ram, by Burrawang Flint Lock 220002 and from Deepdale 190360, was 116kg and scanned 48mm EMD and 6mm fat.

He weighed 35kg at three months and 55kg at six months for an ADG of 0.21kg.

The ram had proven itself both in Deepdale's stud operation and in the showring, having been sashed champion ram at the Dorper National Show in Dubbo in May.

Buyer Gary Cullinan, Dust'n Rain, said he liked "everything" about the ram with his bloodlines an attraction.

"He's very correct and a very well-muscled ram," he said.

Mr Cullinan said the ram would go straight into the stud operation, where they run about 1000 White Dorper ewes and 500 Dorper ewes and expect to offer 127 rams at auction this year.

Also the underbidder on the top-priced ram, Mr Cullinan said they had purchased White Dorpers from Deepdale before, but this was their first Dorper.

Volume buyers included Ben and Nicole Crozier, Wilcannia, who bought 16 rams for an average of $5338.

Mr Crozier said they were after good-doing types with good fat and muscle cover, and robust frames.

"We want nice sleek coats - good shedding rams," he said.

The rams will go straight into the paddock this week into their elite commercial flock, Crozier Genetics, with about 1500 ewes lined up for these rams.

Mrs Crozier said this was their third year buying from Deepdale.

"We've been pretty happy with the lines previously, they've all held up well," she said.

Deepdale Dorpers

Pictures by Alexandra Bernard

Michael and Anne Headon, Balranald, took home 13 rams to average $4392.

Emma and Matt Duncan, Nulla Nulla Station, Wentworth, purchased 10 rams for an average of $4820.

Mrs Duncan said they were after the Dorper rams and buy from Deepdale every sale.

"We like their muscle and how heavy they are," she said.

Mrs Duncan said they run a commercial flock of about 6200 ewes, less than usual having sold off some through the dry, but were going to build back up with the good season.

Brady Bowen, Deepdale Dorpers, said it was an "unbelievable" result.

"We put more rams up this year and we were proud to offer an even line of rams of high quality," he said.

"The price of lamb and the good season shows where buyers are at."

Mr Bowen said they had strong support from repeat buyers, but also some new clients including a WA stud and a buyer from Cunnamulla, Qld.

He said the Mafia sons were sought after, along with the Fort Knox progeny, which had been influential in the stud, including the top-priced ram.

"He had good structure, carcase and eye muscle depth," he said.

The sale was conducted BR&C Agents, with Joe O'Reilly and David Whittenbury sharing the rostrum as auctioneers. AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.