*Total clearance of 6 Southdown rams sold to $5200, av $2100
*96 of 108 Poll Dorset rams sold to $4500, av $1761
*Total clearance of 15 Southdown ewes sold to $1200 (four times), av $1033
HAWKESDALE stud Shellal has set a new top-price record for a Southdown ram at its 43rd annual sale.
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Shellal stud co-principal Tania King said she was very pleased with the $5200 price tag for the Southdown.
"That's the most I have sold a Southdown ram for, so I am pretty thrilled about that," Ms King said.
She said it was one of two stand-out sires in the feature rams offered on the day; the other was Lot 136, which went for $2600. "They were just correct, upstanding rams, good on their feet - they were good just all the way through," she said.
The sale-topper went to a buyer from Adelong, NSW, through AuctionsPlus.
"I think we have just struck true to the breed type," she said.
"That's being structurally sound to start with, and I think buyers have seen that.
"Our structure is there, now we are working on our data, because that is the way of the future."
Ms King said producers were also looking for good terminal carcase production figures.
"They are looking for a good weaning weight and eye muscle depth and they want rams that have hindquarters," she said.
She said she wasn't surprised the Southdown topped the sale.
"It was an absolute thrill to do that," she said.
"The sire of the Southdown ram was champion in Adelaide in 2019, and sold to Fairbank stud, Hagley, Tas, earlier this year.
"The dam, Lochdale 33, had the top-priced stud ram that sold to Silk stud, Cavendish, at last year's sale."
Lot 135, the top-priced ram, was out of Shellal 180013, by Lochdale 170033.
He had a birth weight (BWT) of 0.35 kilograms, a weaning weight (WWT) of 7.5kg and post-weaning weight (PWWT) of 11.6kg.
His post-weaning fat measurement (PFat) was 0.8 millimetres and post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) was 1.6mm.
He had an intramuscular fat (IMF) measurement of 0.0, a lean meat yield of 0.0 and terminal carcase production (TCP) figure of 125.4.
Lot 5 was the top-selling Poll Dorset.
He was sired by Bundara Downs 170180, out of Shellal 180566.
The ram was a twin, with a BWT of 0.55kg, a WWT of 10.8kg and PWWT of 16.8kg.
He had a PFat of -1.0 millimetres, PEMD of 2.5mm, an IMF of -0.9 and lean meat yield of 4.2.
The ram's TCP was 148.6.
Ms King said before moving into Southdowns she had been involved in breeding Poll Dorsets for many years.
"My parents established the Poll Dorset stud in 1966, so I have just followed in their footsteps," she said.
"I was very established in the Poll Dorsets."