A QUALITY line-up of Poll Dorset sires showing excellent carcase traits were met with solid demand from Wheatbelt buyers when they went under the hammer at this year's Eringa Park on-property ram sale at Burakin.
The Tunstill family offered 62 rams in the sale and on the back of some solid bidding from buyers keen to fill their terminal sire requirements they cleared 52 under the hammer of Elders auctioneer Steele Hathway.
The 52 rams sold went to nine different buyers for an average of $753, which was down $40 on last year.
Last year the stud offered 65 rams and sold 58 for an average of $793.
Elders stud stock prime lamb specialist Michael O'Neill said the final sale result was on par with expectations given the seasonal conditions some of the stud's clients have faced.
"The season has been alright where the Tunstills are, but they do have a few clients to the north and east who are experiencing a much tougher season and that resulted in them requiring less rams which reduced the competition in the sale," Mr O'Neill said.
"The final sale result was in no way a reflection of the quality of rams offered as that was excellent.
"They were fit, strong rams all ready to go out and work.
"They were beautiful carcase sheep which will turn off 22 to 24 kilogram lambs every day of the week and they were a credit to the Tunstill family."
The top price in the sale was $1100 and it was achieved twice within the first 10 lots.
The first ram to sell at $1100 was purchased by last year's top-priced buyers the Andrews family, Misty Farms, Beacon.
In addition to the equal top-priced ram the Andrews family went on to purchase another three sires to finish with a team of four at an $800 average.
The second ram to sell at the $1100 top price was purchased by local Kalannie operation Merriwa Farm, which also went on to purchase another three rams to finish with four at a $963 average.
The sale's biggest buyer was the Haggerty family, West & Haggerty, Cleary.
The family finished the sale with 10 rams all at $600.
Return buyers the Sudholz family, S & M Sudholz, Yerecoin, were strong in their bidding throughout the sale securing six rams to a top of $1000 and an average of $917, while fellow return buyer Faulkner Brother Holdings, Beacon, also bid to $1000 twice for its team of three rams which averaged $900.
Other buyers to have an influence on the sale were repeat buyers JG & KL McCreery, Kalannie; Warra Farms, Koorda and QR & VM Bricknell, Watheroo, which all purchased six rams at averages of $758, $750 and $725 respectively.
Dowerin operation RE & WK Jones were also in on the buying action averaging $660 across a team of five rams.
