A QUALITY line-up of Dohne rams and solid support from repeat and new buyers ensured a successful outcome at the Denvale on-property Dohne ram sale at Mt Barker last week, where prices hit a high of $2000 twice.
All up 61 rams were offered by the Sounness family and right through the catalogue the Nutrien Livestock selling team, led by auctioneer Jarrad Hubbard, received solid bidding support from buyers on rams they really wanted.
When the final ram was knocked down and the numbers crunched, 54 or 89 per cent of the 61 rams offered had sold under the hammer to 18 different buyers for an average of $1036.
This meant the average was back $211 on last year and while it was back, the number of rams sold and the clearance were up 16 head and 25pc respectively.
In comparison, in last year's sale 10 different buyers cleared 38 of the 59 rams offered at an average of $1247.
Mr Hubbard said overall it was a solid sale.
"There was increased buying support this year and it was the biggest seen at the sale which resulted in the clearance rising significantly on last year," Mr Hubbard said.
"There were three new buyers operating and they competed strongly against return buyers that know the Denvale product well.
"The rams presented well and it was a consistent line-up of rams from start to finish which was a credit to the Sounness family.
"They again showed off the wools the stud is renowned for, they are very good woolled sheep."
Prices hit a high of $2000 twice and the first ram to reach this value was an upstanding sire in lot six when it was knocked down to regular buyer Brendon Watterson, Yuelup Farms, Tenterden, who has purchased the top-priced rams at the previous three sales.
The well-balanced ram had Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 11pc number lambs weaned (NLW), 4.1 weaning weight (WWT), 5.7 post weaning weight (PWWT), 6.9 yearling weight (YWT), 1.1 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD), 0.1 post weaning fat (PFAT), 5.5 yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW), -0.1 yearling fibre diameter (YFD) and a 172.9 Dohne index.
Along with purchasing the top-priced ram Mr Watterson also picked up a second ram at $1200 midway through the sale.
The second ram to sell for the sale high $2000 was a nicely balanced ram in pen 33 and it sold to return buyers A & K Hooper, Frankland River.
This ram had ASBVs of 7pc NLW, 4.3 WWT, 5.4 PWWT, 6.8 YWT, 1.3 PEMD, 0.4 PFAT, 0.6 YCFW, -0.8 YFD and a 162.3 Dohne index.
Like Mr Watterson, the Hoopers also picked up a second ram and for which they paid $800.
Shamrock Grazing, Cranbrook, picked up the next two highest-priced rams when they paid $1650 and $1600 for lots 28 and five respectively.
Lot 28 had ASBVs of 13pc NLW, 4.8 WWT, 5.3 PWWT, 6.6 YWT, 1.2 PEMD, 0.6 PFAT, 11.7 YCFW, 0.7 YFD and a 168.6 Dohne index, while lot five had numbers of 7pc NLW, 5.5 WWT, 7.4 PWWT, 9.1 YWT, 1.6 PEMD, 0.6 PFAT, 2.0 YCFW, 0.4 YFD and a 172.9 Dohne index.
The Cranbrook-based enterprise purchased a further three rams to finish with a team of five at an average of $1300.
Also buying one of the higher-priced rams was B & L Bailey, Narrikup, which paid $1500 for a ram with ASBVs of 7pc NLW, 4.6 WWT, 5.2 PWWT, 6.8 YWT, 1.3 PEMD, 0.6 PFAT, 8.0 YCFW, -0.3 YFD and a 166.2 Dohne index.
Also heading to the Baileys' Narrikup property was another ram at $1450.
Woogenellup Estate, Mt Barker, was a strong supporter of the catalogue, purchasing five rams at an average of $1220, while Wicklow Estate, Mt Barker and Ripplemead Grazing Co, Tenterden, both averaged $1275 over a pair of rams.
The day's volume buyer was Elders, Mt Barker agent Dean Wallinger, who purchased 10 rams for a client at an average of $885.
The next biggest buyers were AT Hood & Co, Kojaneerup South, which secured nine sires at an average of $955, while Little Creek, Mt Barker, averaged $783 over six and TH Boyd & Co, Wilga, purchased six at an average of $892.
