CLOVEN Hills Composite sheep stud, Nareen celebrated another highly successful sale last month with ram lambs selling to another stud record top of $4800.

Normally held live on-farm, this year’s sale was shifted at the last minute to a wholly online

sale with AuctionsPlus, amidst COVID-19 concerns in the district.

Despite pre-sale nerves about the 11th-hour change of format, principals Kate and Chris Dorahy were “blown away” by the response from new and returning clients, with registered bidders from six states competing for some of the country’s highest-ranking maternal genetics.

At the close of bidding, 120 rams were sold at auction to average $1845, with another 30 sold, post-sale.

“We offered double the number of ram lambs and the sale average was up by $600,” she said.

“If you had asked me beforehand if we’d ever sell a ram lamb for $4800, or even $4000, I would have said ‘no way’ – we are just blown away by the confidence people have shown in our genetics and their willingness to invest in what we do, to grow their business.”

Kate said the stud was pleased to be able to offer an extensive and comprehensive genetic profile of every ram offered, with 30 traits recorded and indexed according to the Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs).

“All our ram lambs have been individually worm egg counted, muscle and fat scanned, scrotal circumference measured and checked; birth, weaning and early post weaning weights are recorded and 29 per cent of ram lambs are genotyped – you know exactly what you are

getting,” she said.

Cloven Hills holds 82 of the top 100 maternal sires in the Sheep Genetics national maternal

sires ASBV database.

“Of 10,000 2021 drop males in the maternal database, we have more than 1630 animals

and 75 per cent are in the top half, with MCP+ indexes greater than 156,” Ms Dorahy said.

At the summer ram lamb sale, returning clients, Vicky and Tony Geddes of Yallock, New South Wales, bought the top-priced ram lamb, Lot 92.

The 2021 drop ram boasts MCP+ of 168 and ASBVs of 0.546 BWT, 10.4 WWT, 15.7 PWWT and AWT 14.7.

“This ram is a great example of the work we have done with heavy selection for those key profit drivers in the prime lamb industry – fertility and hardiness in particular, with the ability to produce lots of lambs that grow like steam and pull up at just the right time … ‘curve benders’, where the post weaning weight index is greater than the adult weight index,” Kate said.

Long-time Cloven Hills client, Mareeta Cox of Coojar, paid $4000 for a Cloven Hills former flock sire, Lot 193, which boasts an outstanding MCP+ index of 182, ranking him in the top five per cent, overall, on the national table.

Bulk purchasers included Peter Young, Glen Collin Pastoral at Walcha, who took home 15 rams to a top of $3000 and average $1627.

A returning Cloven Hills client, Mr Young said the stud’s ability to help fast-track the genetic gain in his Composite ewe flock, was a great attraction.

“We were looking to get ahead a bit quicker in our genetics,” Mr Young said.

“I like how efficient Cloven Hills genetics are, much lower adult weight with growth still as

good, or better than most.”

Cloven Hills is now preparing for its second annual Tasmanian summer ram lamb sale at client Helen Baillie’s ‘Strowan’ property.