Correctness of rams proves a point of interest for buyers in SA and Vic
New clients have bid up a storm at the Mulgundawa Poll Dorsets and Richmond Park White Suffolks ram sales on Monday.
Rams took the eye of multiple bidders including regular clients achieving strong averages across the board.
Kicking off with the Poll Dorsets, they had full clearance with an average of $2300, while in the White Suffloks an average of $1744 was achieved with another full clearance.
Both breeds had an impressive lift on averages from last year's sale - nearly $1000 more in the Poll Dorsets and about $300 more on the White Suffolks.
Starting the day off strong, the top White Suffolk, lot 5W, sold for $2800, to Lesues Partnership, Horsham, they also bought another 11 rams averaging $2172.
In the Poll Dorsets, a dual top price of $3600 was achieved with OJ Jones & Co, buying lot 21P, and L&G McKinnon & Sons, buying lot 23P.
Enjoying a good year, the Poll Dorsets all averaged more than 100 kilograms.
Stud principal Michael Emery was "very pleased" with an increase in average and the sale's success.
He said with good pricing in the mutton and lamb market, as well favourable seasonal conditions, it made for a good sale.
"Those things have just all aligned to make the amount of money people are prepared to pay for terminals considerably more than last year," Mr Emery said.
"I don't know that we had a ludicrous amount of top price rams.
"Some buyers that usually operate at the top weren't there, and I think the highlight of the sale was probably the depth they went to, we kept on selling them at relatively strong prices all the way through."
Across both sales there was a total of 46 registered bidders from the South East and into Victoria.
Overall, the studs offered and sold 249 rams averaging $2032, in the breakdown Mulgundawa Poll Dorsets offered and sold 124 rams averaging $2312 and Richmond Park White Suffolks offered and sold 125 rams averaging $1754.
Volume buyers included DW Miles, Penola, who bought 12 averaging $1533; and Kentish & Sons, Naracoorte, bought 12 averaging $1858.
Looking ahead to next year's ram selections, Mr Emery is pleased at what's coming through.
"If we can keep a balance between performance figures and structural correctness, that we like to think we can do, hopefully that'll provide a product customers have got faith in and continues to make them money," he said.
Nutrien conducted the sale with auctioneer Gordon Wood commenting on the new buyers in attendance.
"It was a really buoyant sale, there's a couple of new buyers from Vic Mallee who came in and bought pretty strongly as well as the regular local crowd that are there every year," he said.
"The rams presented really, really well and they're obviously enjoying a good season...I think we only sold one under $2000.
"There were still people able to get what they needed, so it wasn't over the top but a good buoyant sale with affordability."
While a different buying gallery was there for the White Suffolks, Mr Wood said it was pleasing to see another full clearance, which included purchases from new clients.
