A fitting farewell for Manchester family as last ram sale held at Roseville
A life's passion for breeding industry-relevant sheep that perform on the rail came to a close on Friday, September 18 at the final ram sale to be held at Roseville, Kingsvale, for the Manchester family of Roseville Corriedales and Kingsvale Supreme Poll Dorsets.
There is a changing of the guard at Kingsvale Poll Dorset stud, which has been purchased by Charlie Coddington, Greywood Poll Dorsets, Dubbo, and a three-year transition partnership will ensue as the two studs migrate to full ownership by 2030.
The two studs will continue to have ram sales but at a new venue in 2027 to be advised as Tony and Judy Manchester also transition off the farm to Harden.
At the final sale, 45 of 68 Poll Dorset rams offered sold to a top of $3800 to average $1733, while 18 of 20 Corriedale rams topped the day at $5600, averaging $1855.
Strong loyal support again reaped the rewards of 30 years of measuring carcases and producing sheep with good marbling and shape.
This was backed up by recent results for the Manchesters, where Kingsvale Corriedale lambs were processed in May and returned a carcase weight average of 27 kilograms and 94 per cent landing in the lean meat yield (LMY) grid.
The top ram at the sale, tag C240017, with a strong set of data across both wool and carcase characteristics, was snapped up by Matthew Bennett and his daughter Jorja, Mia Mia, Vic, for his length and structure, combined with the right wool type for what they were chasing.
The Bennetts run 800 Corriedale ewes, with 50pc joined to Corriedales and the rest joined to Kingsvale Poll Dorsets, of which they also secured two on the day.
"Our wool sold well at Christmas time, selling up to $9 a kilogram at 26 to 28 micron and our wether lambs are sold over the hooks at Hardwyck's in Kyneton, averaging between 25 to 30kg dressed annually," Mr Bennett said.
Ben and Elyse Maher, Blekemore Pastoral, Ballimore, run a 1800-head Corriedale commercial self-replacing flock with the balance of surplus ewes joined to either the Manchesters' Kingsvale Supreme Poll Dorset rams, a White Suffolk or a Charollais.
Mr Maher secured four Corriedale rams in total, averaging $2925 and two Poll Dorset rams for an average of $1650.
"Our main focus is breeding for wool, which is why we're interested in what Tony is doing with Bendigo Woollen Mills, but the lambs are also ideal for meat production, so we are able to capitalise on great lambs to go with the wool," Mr Maher said.
"We are chasing sheep with frame and micron, as the sweet spot for us is around that 25 micron, similar to what Tony is achieving."
The Mahers sold their main line of Corriedale wool earlier in the year for 1050 cents/kg.
The top Poll Dorset ram was secured by long-time supporter, Currawong Livestock, Harden, which paid the top price of $3800 for a draft of seven rams to average $2557.
John Taylor and family, Monteagle, purchased five rams, averaging $1680, while local buyer Duncan Stewart, Eulo Pastoral Company, Currawong, who runs a mixed-farming operation with cropping, cattle and Merinos, bought 10 Kingsvale rams, paying to a top of $3600 and averaging $1970.
The team at Brian Unthank Rural, Albury, were again strong online through the Stocklive platform securing 12 Poll Dorset rams for various clients, averaging $1233.
The Stocklive platform proved a successful tool on the day securing 27pc of the draft, with a lot of action throughout the sale to kick the bids along.
Rounding out the sale, Charlie Coddington, Greywood Poll Dorsets, Dubbo, secured a new sire to take forward in the stud; Robert Mann, Hexham, Vic, through StockLive, secured three Corriedale rams averaging $1167, and DA and CB Paech, Walla Walla, bought three Corriedale rams for $1067.
The sale was conducted by Delta Agribusiness with Cameron Rosser and Tom Pollard the respective auctioneers and StockLive providing the online interface.
