– MARK GRIGGS | The Land | September 26, 2013
BUYERS from Tilpa, Hillston, Condobolin and Girilambone took up most of the 57 rams sold at the eighth annual Annalara White Dorper ram sale on-property at Dubbo last week.
From 86 rams, 57 cleared to a top of $1,600 and averaged $928.
Annalara principal Steve Cresswell said he was quite chuffed at the compliments given by buyers who said they were keen to take home the high-quality rams on offer.
Repeat buyers Justin and Julie McClure, Kallara Station, Tilpa, picked out the high-growth rams and ended up with eight averaging $1,150 and topping at $1,600 for the sale-topper.
The top-priced ram was a 79 kilogram son of Annalara 070506, and at 15 months had an eye muscle depth of 36 millimetres.
“We target high-growth rate rams,” Mr. McClure said.
“The top ram’s growth rated him second in the catalogue with a Carcass Plus index of +178.”
Mr. McClure said they ran between 10,000 to 15,000 White Dorpers on Kallara Station, with lambs selling to Thomas Foods International, Murray Bridge, South Australia, bound for the organic market in the US.
Another return buyer, Ben Laird, Mount View Pastoral Company, Hillston, took home a swag of rams totalling 22 head and paid an average of $882, bidding to a top of $1,500 for the second-top priced ram.
George Millear, “Tiltagoona”, between the Barrier Highway and Tilpa, has been breeding White Dorpers for nine years and returned for his fifth year to secure nine rams topping at $900 and averaging $767.
His flock of 2,500 ewes are of Etiwanda and Annalara bloodlines and produce lambs which he sells as store lambs through AuctionsPlus at five to six months of age.
The sale was conducted by Elders and Landmark, Dubbo with Brian Kennedy, Tamworth, the auctioneer.
Above: Belinda McGilchrist, Lienert Australia, Tamworth; auctioneer Brian Kennedy, Elders, Tamworth; Julie and Justin McClure, Kallara Station, Tilpa, and Steve Cresswell, Annalara White Dorpers, Dubbo, with the $1,600 top-priced ram purchased by the McClures.
(Photo courtesy of The Land)