SALES held up well despite downward pressure on sheep and lamb prices when Anna Villa White Suffolks, Weetulta, held its annual on-property ram sale on Friday, September 22.
The sale achieved a healthy average of $950, compared with $1043.23 in 2022, and 80 of 111 rams sold this year.
Wayne and Samuel Young of River Park Farming, Wandereah, bought the top-priced ram for $2600.
The May 2022 drop ram was sired by Ella Matta 180100 Milestone.
It was the heaviest ram on offer, weighing in at 138.5kg, with an impressive Terminal Carcase Plus rating of 150.29.
Anna Villa proprietors Anthony, Suzanne and Cameron Ferguson kept up their tradition of offering a ram for charity and this year it was snapped up by TJ and BB Clements of Narridy for $2400, the equal second highest price paid on the day.
Proceeds of the ram’s sale will go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and HeartKids, and the Clements family received a prize pack donated by Elders, Nutrien Ag Solutions and AW Vater and Co.
The Clements Family bought 15 rams, making them the highest volume buyers of the sale.
Anthony said he was pleased with the results of the sale overall, despite current low sheep and lamb prices.
“Low prices at the Jamestown sheep market this week would have affected it,” he said.
“But it went well for the number of people who registered for the sale and the top indexed rams sold extremely well at prices over $2000.
“We had two clients last year who bought 40 rams between them but they weren’t here this year.
“To sell 80 rams out of the 111 was more than we were expecting.”
In addition to the sale rams, Anna Villa had on display a selection of 2-month-old ewe and ram lambs from a drop of 160, which were bred with AI semen from Felix White Suffolks, Greenethorpe, New South Wales.
The ewe lambs will be mated with Anna Villa bred sires in February.
“We are looking to get lower birth weights and more fat and muscle — we already have growth on our side,” Anthony said.
“More fat helps Merino cross lambs to hold onto their condition longer in the tough times.”
Anthony said he was confident the sheep industry would rebound.
“We are in it for the long haul,” Anthony said.
“We are always looking two to four years down the track.”