THE Pipkorn family’s Detpa Grove White Suffolk stud, Jeparit, continues to be a Mecca for stud and commercial buyers seeking the White Suffolk breed’s elite genetics.
Sixty-seven buyers from four States attended the annual Detpa Grove production sale, while there were 16 others following the sale and bidding through the AuctionsPlus network.
The weather was cold but the bidding was hot and by sale’s end, 215 head of ewes and rams had grossed $345,650 at a $1608 average in an 81 per \cent clearance.
The highlight was again the stud ram draft of 38 rams that saw frenetic bidding at the top end and seven rams sell at $10,000 or better.
Steve, Ros and Greg Funke, Bundara Downs, Bordertown, SA, combined forces with Anthony and Don Ferguson, Anna Villa, Weetulta, SA, to win the bidding duel for the first of the White Suffolk stud rams, DG110084Triplet, at $16,000, which ultimately proved to be the equal top-priced ram.
This was the highest performance ram on Lambplan in the catalogue with EBVs of 17.51 Pwwt, -0.71 Pfat, 1.36 Pemd culminating in a C+ index of 206 and L2020 index of 114.
He was sired by the high performance sire Anden 080276Twin that has worked so well in the Detpa Grove stud.
Bruce Buswell, Matilda Downs, Mount Barker, made the trip from Western Australia worthwhile by buying the next ram in the ring, DG110116, also for the equal top price of $16,000.
Brilliant for both phenotype and genotype, this son of the 2010 Royal Adelaide Show interbreed champion Anden 090168Twin had a Pwwt EBV of 15.27, Pfat of -0.98, Pemd of 1.39 and a C+ index of 197.
Mr Buswell then chased his second choice ram, DG110185Twin by A080276Twin, up to $12,000 before pulling out, with Detpa Grove regulars A&R Weidemann, Sunnydale, Rupanyup, winning this duel.
However, Mr Buswell did not miss out on the genetics completely, for three lots later he secured this ram’s twin brother DG110186Twin at a bargain basement $3000.
The Weidemann family also picked up an impressive average breaker late in the catalogue, buying DG110210Twin at just $2500.
Mark Williams, through Elders Kaniva, SA, has supported Detpa Grove for a long time and this year bought three outstanding rams av $5000 and later added three top ewes to $1300.
The 38 stud-listed rams av $5084, but seven of these went to astute commercial lamb producers. The 31 that went to ram breeding enterprises av $5871.
Joff and Robert Sporn, Murrayville, buying through Rodwells Keith, SA, have always had their eyes on the stud ram draft for quality rams that would suit their prime lamb enterprise and are going at lower prices.
This year they bought four of the seven that went that way, paying from $1500-$2000.
They then bid to the top flock ram price of $2400 for three top rams in that ram draft to round out their seven purchases for a $1743 average.
Joff said they got the returns on their top end purchasing with faster growth, better muscling and yields, enabling them to turn their prime lambs off earlier; important in their more marginal country and especially so in seasons like this.
Irving Partners, Devon Downs, Edenhope, were the biggest volume buyers with 25 rams in the great value range of $600-$900, av $756.
RG&JA Roberts, with 12 ewes from $400-$1200 did their best to make an impact in the ewe numbers, while TJ Munro, Taronga Park, Hynam, SA, through SAL Naracoorte, also bought 12 from $300-$450 to add to their $3500 ram purchase.
Courtesy of Ian Turner, farmonline.com.au
