The five vendors selling at the postponed Charleville Dorper and white Dorper sale on Tuesday left with big smiles after buoyant prices were paid and all lots were cleared.
There were 25 bid cards registered from as far south as Ivanhoe in the far west of NSW, north to Tambo and east to Roma, and purchasers paid an average $3075 for the 96 lots on offer.
The sale was originally set down for late March and Lorroi Kirkby, speaking on behalf of the Amarula stud based at Moree, said their rams had put on another 10kg in the weeks since then.
"It shows how well they do," she said.
They received the top price for the sale, $6600 for Amarula 201593, a 10-month-old twin white Dorper sired by Nomuula Lowie 170275, who was purchased by Jeff Betts, Chelmer, Thallon.
Amarula's Lorroi Kirkby said they'd purchased him in partnership a few years ago and he'd meshed in well with their ewes.
"He's an outstanding sire - we're using his sons at home too," she said.
His genetics were obviously sought after by the breeders present - the Betts family also paid $6000, $5800 and $5200 for three more of his sons, while L and L Jukes, Tregonning, Morven outlaid $5000 and $3600.
Augathella's Lionel Smith, from Buckey's Creek, bought two by the same sire for $4200 each.
Justin Kirkby described it as an awesome sale, saying the commercial buyers had really lifted their sights.
"Some of our clients here today were paying $1000 a few years ago," he said. "Demand is really outstripping supply at the moment."
Flashback: Inaugural Charleville Dorper sale a winner
Mr Betts, who bought the rams sight unseen, said he had let his ram supply run down during the drought and was now trying to build back up quickly.
"They were expensive rams but I missed out at a few other sales and I thought I needed to get in before they were all gone," he said.
Explaining his preference for the white Dorpers, he said that was what he'd chosen when they moved out of Merinos 15 years ago.
"I don't think there's any difference between the Dorper and the white, it was just hard coming from that background to go into the black face ones."
A top price of $4200 was paid by two breeders for the Dorper rams on offer.
Malcom and Chris Jukes, Boxvale, Morven outlaid that amount for Boonoon 200048, while John Elmes, Plevna Downs East at Augathella purchased Winrae 20-0091.
Mr Jukes said his purchase, sired by Amarula 176920, was a big deep ram in the style they preferred.
"It's the first time we've bought from Boonoon, we're trying them out, but we prefer the Dorpers - we just think they've got a bit more leg, that suits our country," he said.
He's been breeding Dorpers for five years and said the sale prices showed buyers were serious about their business.
Fellow buyer John Elmes, who was also the sale's volume buyer, taking home 20 rams for an average price of $2860, said he hadn't bought rams for a while and needed to build back up.
Since exclusion fencing in 2000 he had gradually moved to a pure Dorper operation, running 4000 breeders with 2 per cent rams.
"I like Winrae's bloodlines - I used to buy from them, and I especially like the conformation of the top priced ram that I bought," he said.
The ram was a twin and sired by Amarula Dusty.
The Winrae stud used to be based between Bourke and Cunnamulla but has since moved to Bundarra in the NSW New England region, and stud principal Mel Pagett said they had received a lot of support from old clients as well as a couple of new ones.
"It was our first sale here so we had no expectations but we were blown away with our average," she said. "We figure the success is down to the season people are having, and lamb prices at the moment."
The 57 Dorper rams on offer sold for an average of $2831, while the 39 white Dorpers sold for an average $3430.
Lindsay and Carol Godfey, Tinnenburra, Cunnamulla outlaid an average $2381 for 11 rams at the sale, buying both Dorper and white Dorper and paying a top of $3000 for Basecamp 190104, offered by Andrea Weiss of Kogan.
L and L Jukes paid an average $3420 for 10 rams while Mirage Land and Water at Cunnamulla bought eight rams for an average of $2550, and Malcom and Chris Jukes also bought eight rams, for an average of $3425.
Boondara and Smit, based at Roma and selling both Dorpers and white Dorpers, were well supported by volume buyers.
- Selling agent - Nutrien, interfaced with AuctionsPlus
Want daily news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the Queensland Country Life newsletter below.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
