Sophie, Tony and Marg Killalea, Killandayle stud, Holbrook; Andrew and Sally Scott, Valley Vista; Hamish McGeoch and Tim Woodham, Nutrien; and Harry Waters, Elders, with the top-priced ram.
Confidence in current lamb prices and in Valley Vista rams to produce the right product was on show at the stud’s 22nd annual spring sale on Friday. One of the strongest registered buyer turnouts the Scott family had seen at Coolac, NSW, bidded strongly on the line-up of Poll Dorset and composite rams.
At the fall of the hammer, all 158 rams offered were sold to an average price of $1813. The 143 Poll Dorset rams averaged $1871, topping the sale at $5400, while 15 composite rams averaged $1266, selling to $1600.
The Killalea family from Killandayle Poll Dorsets operating with Elders Holbrook, paid the top money for lot 6, Valley Vista Park 240074. The ram was a June-drop by Ivadene 220031 that had placed third in the Lambplan Performance class at the Australasian Dorset Championships in September, and had one of the leading Terminal Carcase Production index Australian Sheep Breeding Values of the sale at 159.
Killalea also paid $5000 each for an additional two rams at the top of the catalogue, including lot 22, another Ivadene 220031 son with a TCP of 165.
Shane Oneill of Cooma also operated at the top of the listing, paying $4800 for lot 12, yet another ram out of the Ivadene sire with a 153 TCP.
The evenness and strength of the catalogue was evident when strong prices were achieved well into double digits, such as lot 139 making $2200.
Volume buyers included Hopewood Pastoral Company, Coolac, averaging $1900 for six rams, and DJ Graham Trust, Adjunbilly, who paid an average of $1500 for eight lots. Falkirk Pastoral, Harden, also picked up six rams for $1566, while Snowy Mountains Honey, Tumut, selected 10 rams averaging $1720.
Nutrien’s Hamish McGeoch said it was a very strong result, and the rams presented exceptionally well.
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