BUYERS were in the box seat at Johnos' 18th annual on-property ram sale at Keith on Monday as a huge selection of Border Leicesters, Poll Dorsets and Hampshire Downs sold at very affordable prices.
The sale kicked off with a bang - four Border Leicester rams in the first 10 lots made $2000 or more.
But the orders among the 23 registered bidders from the Mallee, Kangaroo Island, South East and into Vic were not enough to absorb the large catalogue of high-index rams offered by Neil and Jeff Johnson and families.
A $2100 high was reached three times - all Border Leicesters.
The first lot was an outstanding sire snapped up by renowned first-cross ewe producer and Johnos' client Simon Pocock, Lameroo, a driving force in the top end of the catalogue taking 15 rams averaging $1293.
Pocock Pastoral Co will offer about 2000 top quality Border Leicester-Merino ewe lambs at the Naracoorte blue ribbon first-cross ewe lamb sale on November 21.
Also reaching $2100 was a late addition which the stud had originally decided to offer at the Horsham, Vic, multi-vendor sale in November, bought by another long-time supporter AW Gum, Lameroo.
The other $2100 ram went to R&S Horspole, Camperdown, Vic.
Martin Harvey, Paxton stud, Western Flat, made a stud buy at $2000 for a ram with "carcase and well-balanced figures".
"We have bought two rams and been pleased with them, so came back," he said.
Volume buyers included GN&DL Jarrett, Bordertown, seven Border Leicester rams averaging $843, and Nayook South, Allendale East, seven Border Leicesters to $1100 and one Hampshire Down at $900.
Southern Australian Livestock's Scott Bittner, Naracoorte, bought the $1600 top price Poll Dorset for Shannon and Catherine Warnest, Willalooka.
The August 2014-drop was easily the highest-ranked ram with a Carcase Plus index of 210.7 and great carcase shape.
Dimity and Hugh Savage, Benmore Hampshire Down stud, Bool Lagoon, selected the grand champion Hampshire Down ram from the 2015 Royal Melbourne Show as their pick, at the $1100 top price for the breed.
Stud co-principal Neil Johnson said the season was "very tight" but they were really pleased with how the rams had presented.
He said bidding on the first half of the Border Leicester offering was the highlight of the sale and he was pleased by the end of the day to have cleared another 15 rams.
"There will be another good line-up of first-cross ewes sired by Johnos rams at the Naracoorte sales with the Green Johnos stickers on their pens," he said.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
