STRONG support from long-term and new buyers, along with a quality line-up of rams at the annual Golden Hill on-property ram sale at North Kukerin last week ensured another successful clearance.
The Ditchburn family offered an outstanding line-up of 70 UltraWhite Composite rams this year plus 106 White Suffolk and 31 White Suffolk Composite rams as usual.
The evenness and depth of the family's rams was highly sought after by buyers, resulting in a 99 per cent sale clearance overall.
Golden Hill's growing following saw an increased register of 42 buyers in comparison to last year's list containing 30, with the stud's loyal clients returning to this year's sale.
New buyer support was strong this year due to the stud offering a large team of UltraWhite Composite rams.
Strong bidding pushed the overall sale average to a top of $1932, up $543 on last year's average.
At the sale's end, Elders Corrigin representative and auctioneer Steele Hathway recorded the sales top-price reaching $6000 for a White Suffolk ram, which was a $1000 increase on last year's top-price of $5000.
Mr Hathway said it was his first time selling the Golden Hill sale.
"The outcome of the sale was outstanding," Mr Hathway said.
"The White Suffolks presented very well and the composites performed well in the sale.
"The UltraWhite composites really surprised me, I think there will be a lot of demand for them moving forward."
Mr Hathway was pleased with how the sale went for the Ditchburn family.
"There was a lot of spirited bidding throughout the sale," Mr Hathway said.
"I'd like to congratulate the Ditchburn family on the sale that they had."
White Suffolk
The sale kicked off with an exquisite line-up of well-built White Suffolk rams.
The Golden Hill genetics were in high demand, pushing the offering's average to $1804, and with a 100pc clearance.
Return buyer Brian Burrows, Yaminga White Suffolk stud, Borden, bid to a top of $6000 for a stud sire penned in lot two for his only purchase for the day.
The well-built ram tipped the scales at 120 kilograms when the sales team weighed him last month.
The Golden Hill gem displayed LambPlan Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 0.43 birth weight (BWT), 11.81 weaning weight (WWT), 17.50 post weaning weight (PWWT), 1.59 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD), -0.50 post weaning fat (PFAT) and a 143.34 TCP index.
Yaminga stud adviser John Banks said they have been buying from the stud since before the Ditchburn family owned it.
"Straight away I loved the shape of that ram," Mr Banks said.
"It had a good straight back and an extremely good back end."
OTHER RAM SALE RELATED NEWS
Mr Banks said he was drawn to the ram's muscle coverage.
"It was consistent down the legs and not too broad on the front, which is the ideal sheep for what we want to use him for," Mr Banks said
"He will be going over our stud ewes."
The second top-price ram sold soon after, in pen five for $3200, went to Graham Hicks, Napier.
The ram weighed in at 118kg and displayed ASBVs of 0.43 BWT, 11.67 WWT, 16.93 PWWT, 1.89 PEMD, -0.28 PFAT and a 141.62 TCP index.
Rhodes Pastoral Pty Ltd, Boyup Brook, swept in early on in the sale securing an impressive ram in pen four.
The $2600 beauty displayed ASBVs of 0.40 BWT, 11.11 WWT, 18.19 PWWT, 2.35 PEMD, -0.28 PFAT and TCP indexes of 152.86.
Volume buyer in the White Suffolk offering was FM & KS James, Hyden, securing a team of 17 rams in the White Suffolk offering at an average of $1506.
The Hyden farmers paid a top of $1700 for a 116kg ram and had ASBVs 0.35 BWT, 10.64 WWT, 15.41 PWWT, 1.56 PEMD, -0.18 PFAT and a TCP index of 138.09.
GC & VJ Ball was also keen on the Golden Hill genetics, taking home 10 rams at an average of $1810 and paying to its own top of $2000, twice.
The Scott family, John Scott & Son, managed to secure a team of eight rams for their enterprise to a top price of $2300 and an average of $1925.
RL & JI Gray bidded up and managed to build a strong team of five rams to take home to their local Harrismith property at an average of $1600.
White Suffolk composites
A positive 94pc clearance on the White Suffolk sale performance saw the average reach $1231.
Strong bidding from a select few buyers from the registered list saw prices top at $1700.
Wesley Leo, Dunn Rock paid the top-price in the White Suffolk Composite offering, while also maintaining a $1500 average throughout for a team of four rams.
The $1700 top-price 108kg ram had raw measurements of 49.5kg WWT, 73kg PWWT, 38mm EMD and 4.5mm fat.
The second top-price ram sold for a total $1600 to Krool Holdings, Kukerin, who bought only one White Suffolk Composite on the day.
The two volume buyers in the run were Tarin Rock Pty Ltd, Lake Grace, averaging $1367 and Matlock Farms Pty Ltd, Boddington, averaging at $1233.
UltraWhite Composites
Having the UltraWhites incorporated in this year's Golden Hill sale saw them average the highest in the sale at $2423.
Of the 70 head of rams offered in this sector of the sale, they sold to a top of $3700 and had a 99pc clearance.
The top-price buyer, Braden Johnston, Nyabing, paid the high of $3700, while securing a strong team of nine rams at an average price of $2833.
Mr Johnston's pen 158 gem tipped the scales at 77kg and displayed ASBVs of -0.22 BWT, 6.55 WWT, 10.07 PWWT, 2.29 PEMD, 0.96 PFAT and a TCP index of 134.03.
Mr Johnston said he was pleased with his purchases for the day.
"It was my first year purchasing from the stud," Mr Johnston said.
"I purchased the ram due to his post weaning growth rates and muscle."
Closely trailing the top-price ram was a $3600 UltraWhite purchased by the Joyce family, CD & VK Joyce, Lake Grace.
The family managed to secure a team of five rams at an average of $2780, with the top-price ram displaying ASBVs of -0.15 BWT, 7.41 WWT, 10.91 PWT, 2.55 PEMD, 0.51 PFAT and a TCP index of 135.02.
Volume buyer in the offering was Dawson 17 Pty Ltd, Toodyay, who took home a team of 17 rams at an average of $2371.
The Toodyay enterprise paid to a top of $2800 and bidded strongly, resulting in them paying more than $2000 for all 17 rams bought in the offering.
Dawson 17 Pty Ltd, rounded out their sales with pen 192.
All proceeds from this particular ram is headed to the Shearing For Liz Pink Day fundraising initiative for breast cancer research.
The Toodyay businesses farm manager Stephen Cook, paid an initial $2500 under the hammer price for the ram before adding an additional $1500 after the sale to take the fundraising total to $4000.
Brett Kanny, Moonyoonooka, was quick to secure his team of eight rams at a top of $3300 and averaging $2838.
Golden Hill stud principal Nathan Ditchburn was very happy with the outcome of the sale.
"The sheep were presented very well today by our team," Mr Ditchburn said.
"We appreciate the support we received at the sale.
"I'd like to thank all of the staff that helped today run smoothly, your help is much appreciated."
