Hillview Dohne Merino stud held its 19th annual on-property sale last Friday with a total clearance of the 60 rams up for auction, including two equal top-selling lots at $5000.
Hosted by Heather Holmes and son Robert at their Hillview homestead 20 kilometres north of Piednippie, a large crowd of returning buyers saw to the buying of the well-presented, even line one-year-olds at an average of $1628.
All auctioned rams were paddock reared and bred to act as dual-purpose breeders with an equal focus on wool and meat traits.
Over nearly two decades the Hillview stud has developed a reputation for producing easy care, low maintenance sheep that are well-suited to local conditions with exceptional lambing percentages.
Friday’s equal top-sellers were a couple of cracking rams bought by AA Trezona & Sons and LG & KL Whillas, both for $5000.
AA Trezona & Sons bought lot 13 with figures of 18.7 micron, fleece weight of 18.16, index of 174.3, yield of 71.8 and body weight of 100kg.
LG & KL Whillas purchased lot 23 with figures of 19.6 micron, fleece weight of 17.89, index of 169.08, yield of 71.1 and body weight of 98kg.
The Hillview stud said it was grateful for the ongoing support of its return buyers, who made a full clearance possible.
“We aim for a full clearance every year but was not expecting it given the seasonal conditions,” Danielle Holmes said.
“Things are still tough for some, needing a very kind spring to finish the season off.
“We really appreciate our returning buyers and really strive to breed rams to the needs of those who support us every year.”
Return buyers were SJ & JL Cuffe, RS & SP Dickson, Everalen Ag, Milton Holmes, Hope Downs Farming, IP & SG Kenny, Lee Farming Pty Ltd, T J Patterson, MJ Tremaine, AA Trezona & Sons, PF & DM Watson, PA & JL Webb, PL & JM Wheaton, LG & KL Whillas, BM & BG Williams, SJ & AV Williams, and DW Pittaway & JK Holmes.
