RAM stud sellers Deepdale Dorpers reached a top price of $47,000 at last week’s Ram Auction.
The auction last Monday was the WA organisation’s fourth sale and third at Merrinee stud farm Willah, about 40 minutes south-west of Mildura after, since recently expanding into the new property.
Despite a year of low rain which has put a stain on regional farmers, stud farm manager Brady Bowen said he was glad to see many familiar faces at the auction.
“We had a lot of returning buyers and new buyers,” he said.
“It was a very positive day for what’s been a pretty tough year for a lot of farmers with not much rain at all.
“We had buyers from South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, and some new buyers from Horsham.
“You don’t really know who’s going to come until the day, but it’s always good to see new people turn up.”
Last year’s Deepdale Droopers auction made a national record selling an average of $6200, following the organisation’s outstanding wins at the 2024 Dorper Sheep Society of Australia National Show a month earlier.
This year, the auction average reached $5239 and Mr Bowen said buyers were clearly still impressed with the quality.
“Those awards give a good benchmark of where you are against the other studs,” he said.
“At the National Show, we were the most successful in Dorper and White Dorper, and then we won “Supreme Exhibit” and a few others.
“You never really know how the auction will perform, but I think the quality we’re breeding is what people want.
“We were really happy with our average.”
