STRONG demand for White Dorper and Dorper rams ensured the 10th annual Red Rock and Edson Livestock on-property sale at Keith was one of their best.
Animated bidding from three states produced a huge leap in the average, and a near-total clearance at the sale on Thursday.
White Dorpers sold particularly well with Brad and Tanya Edson's Red Rock stud enjoying a total clearance of their 81 rams for a $1428 average.
Co-vendor Pat Edson sold two White Dorpers at $1100 and $1300 for her Edson stud, and 21 of 25 Dorpers for a $986 average.
Overall 104 of 108 rams averaged $1334.
The sale kicked off well with the first 11 Type 4 stud rams from Red Rock averaging $1991.
Among these was the $3000 second-highest price ram - a mid June 2013-drop, 100 kilograms, with an eye muscle depth of 46 millimetres.
AG&CG Bell, Nhill, Vic, who bought last year's top price ram-was the successful bidder.
The $3800 top price came at lot 12 - the start of the commercial rams specially selected by a South African classer.
The mid June 2014-drop was a son of homebred sire 09294, selling to JE&LR Pitt, Moorlands.
It was one of 17 rams in the catalogue which weighed 100kg or more.
The clean shedder had been a standout since a lamb and backed by a good set of Lambplan indexes including a trade$ index of 107.4 and Lamb2020 of 107.9.
Three repeat station buyers purchased nine rams each, adding strong support to the sale.
These were Whurlie Pastoral Co, Wentworth, NSW, M&B Anderson, via Broken Hill, NSW, and DL&AG Bury, via Port Augusta.
DK&MC Brumfield, Keith, was the volume buyer of black Dorpers. Their five included the $1800 top price ram - a May 2014-drop son of Edson Black Inkpot.
Stud co-principal Tanya Edson said it was the studs' best sale in "a long time" and coincided with their most consistent offering.
"It was great to see bidders on AuctionsPlus from Qld this year and see buyers come again back from the West Coast," she said.
Mrs Edson said a large number of Dorper rams had been exported to China, tightening supply of rams within the breed.
There was also strong confidence in the lamb market, buoying the sale.
"If you chase the quick-maturing rams with high eye muscle you can get lambs off quickly," she said.
"We sold lambs for $6/kg earlier so if you are getting about $200 for lambs it is good money. Those selling to organic markets are getting even more."
Elders Keith auctioneer Dean Coddington said it was a very good sale with great support from AuctionsPlus buying 14 rams. About half of these went to Elders St George, Qld, and the remainder to BR&C Swan Hill, Vic.
"The rams this year presented very well and their eye muscles were really up there, which buyers were looking for," he said.
Landmark Keith branch manager Noel Evans said it was pleasing to see an increase in the number of registrations in the stands and on AuctionsPlus. "A lot of studs have sold rams to export so the number of rams available is much less for private sale,'' he said. ''If buyers are looking for rams they have to get in and buy them out of the sales."