Measurement lifts results at Woolumbool

REPEAT commercial clients, many sitting in their usual seats, along with a few new buyers produced a wonderful result at Woolumbool’s 29^th annual on-property Poll Dorset and White Suffolk ram sale near Lucindale, on Wednesday last week.

The Clothier family sold 186 of 189 paddock-reared rams to a $3100 high and $1369 average – a lift of $85 on 2015’s result.

Woolumbool subjects its rams to every available performance measurement including worm resistance.

This has always been the Clothier family’s selection policy and consequently the stud has gold quality data status under the Sheep Genetics Lambplan testing system, indicating elite performance levels with high accuracies.
The sale catalogue featured a large number of shaded figures, identifying the animals were in the top 10 per cent nationally for the various traits and indices.

Only 13 rams had no shaded figures but they were all still well above industry averages.

The offering had the evenness and productivity which regular buyers have come to appreciate.

Three specially-selected elite Poll Dorset rams and 10 elite White Suffolks were offered first.

Scott McIntyre, Warrangure via Dunkeld, Vic, made the most of the opportunity buying the $2600 top price Poll Dorset W151287 and $3100 top price White Suffolk W151664. His tally included another White Suffolk elite ram for $2100.

These three rams had Lambplan Carcase Plus indexes of 212, 216 and 202 respectively.

Four alternating drafts of Poll Dorset and White Suffolk flock rams followed and consistent demand and prices matched the evenness of the rams.

There was a total clearance of 95 White Suffolks for a $1377 average, while 91 of 94 Poll Dorsets averaged $1362.

The majority were spring 2015-drops making them just more than 12-months-old.

Nangwarry Pastoral Company, operating through P&L Livestock, was the volume buyer, selecting 28 rams from the two breeds to a $1100 high and $868 average.

Two clients of Miller Whan & John’s Kingston agent Mike Newton were particularly strong. RL Hancock & Sons bought 14 rams to $1700, averaging $1514. Thirteen of these were Poll Dorsets.

Oliver Nominees selected eight White Suffolk rams for a $1563 average.

The Bruce family, Boonoonar Partners, Keilira, buying through Landmark Kingston, was also a very strong volume buyer with 14 Poll Dorset rams to $1800, averaging $1511. I&P Hocking, Lucindale, took home 10 White Suffolks, averaging $1260, selecting high performance rams at very good value. They bought through Elders Lucindale.

Also prominent on the buyers list were Peel Pastoral, Wrattonbully, with eight rams to $1700, Stark Grazing, Naracoorte, with seven Poll Dorsets to $1900, TH&YA Correll, Woolumbool, with six rams to $1700, BS&DA Milstead, Allendale East, with six rams to $1900, Hassell Trading, Penola, with six rams to $1600, Struan Research Centre six rams to $1500 and RJ Williams, Naracoorte, six rams to $1700.

Elders and Landmark conducted the sale with Tony Wetherall, Gordon Wood and Richard Miller the auctioneers.

Courtesy of Ian Turner, The Stock Journal.