Kenlorne Poll Dorsets average jumps by $500 with new buying support

Kenlorne Poll Dorsets achieved a $500 lift in average at their annual on-property ram sale near Beachport, with strong support from repeat and new buyers..

Of the 82 rams offered, 79 sold to a top of $2600 and an average of $1791, up from $1388 last year.

Creek Livestock agent Blair Humphries said the line-up was particularly even, with consistent quality across the rams on offer.

"They were all very sound and all very similar," he said.

The top-priced ram, lot 24, was purchased by the Berko Group, through Creek Livestock agent Dave Fraser.

Sired by 230170, the single-drop ram had figures of a 0.11 birth weight, 7.45 weaning weight, 10.56 post-weaning weight, 2.18 eye muscle depth, -0.42 fat, -0.64 intramuscular fat, 128.9 terminal productive, and 121.16 eating quality.

Mr Fraser said the ram stood out for its size, length and muscle.

"It was just a good big, meaty ram, lots of length to him and plenty of muscle," he said.

The Berko Group had been buying rams from Kenlorne for the past three years and secured 10 rams at this year's sale, using Poll Dorset sires over Border Leicester-Merino ewes to produce second-cross lambs.

The group runs about 1200 ewes and uses multiple bloodlines in its breeding program.

Mr Fraser described the sale as exceptional, saying the rams had presented very well.

Kenlorne's Carl Millich said the result reflected a strong turn out, which he believed was among the best in the stud's 50-year history.

"For a small stud like Kenlorne, it just shows a lot of confidence in grass-fed rams," he said.

"Next year we'll be looking at getting a little bigger."

Mr Millich said several new buyers had supported the sale, helping broaden the stud's buying base.

Among them, Dalgliesh Pastoral purchased five rams to average $1720, Milroy Pastoral bought four to average $1075, and Shiloh Park, Suttontown, secured four to average $1500.

Long-term client Peter Altschwager, Marlex, Tantanoola, was the volume buyer, purchasing 17 rams to average $1890.

Mr Humphries said the volume buyer's continued support was a testament to the consistency of the Kenlorne offering, with the client having bought rams from the stud for 36 years.

Mr Millich said the continued support of returning clients was an encouraging sign for the stud.

"Seeing the returning buyers that have been coming for the past 30-odd years shows the rams are doing the job for them," he said.

Creek Livestock conducted the sale for the first time, with Nutrien's Richard Miller auctioneering.