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Pepperton sale scrapes in before the floods

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Lot 1 sold for $5000, the minimum sale price for a ram the buyer intends to use in a stud program. The same buyer also got Lot 9 for $5000. The remaining rams sold to highs of $1700 and $1800. Photo by Daneka Hill

It was good weather for online auctions on Wednesday, October 12.

Pepperton Poll Dorset and White Suffolk Stud scraped in right before the bad weather and was quite possibly the last on-property livestock sale in the region before flooding and road closures began the following day.

Buyers were sparse at the in-person sale, but a large contingent of 14 online buyers were bidding aggressively through Elite Livestock Auctions.

It was an online buyer (Mallee Park Poll Dorsets and White Suffolks) who took the top price — twice — paying $5000 a piece for their rams.

The rest of the rams were headed straight to first-cross duties and averaged $1530.

“I'm only from down the road. Goornong,” Neville Triplett said. “I’m in a bit of a predicament at the moment because I've got a guy coming tomorrow to do some shearing, but I think I'll cancel. It will be too hard on the sheep — too wet and cold. I wouldn't like to be chucked out in this weather with no clothes on.” Mr Triplett was looking at getting a White Suffolk, which he’d run with his Dohne ewes to get a less bulky lamb. “They are too strong for me. It's one thing to breed animals bigger, but they have to be manageable.” Photo by Daneka Hill

Pepperton’s large shed at Elmore was the star of the show, and thankfully the rain eased off so buyers could hear the auctioneer over the drumming on the roof.

Stud principals Roger and Dianne Trewick said the rain started falling hard the night before and they’d recorded 20mm by 7am.

“It would be a lot more by now,” Mrs Trewick said.

“We are expecting a lot of the bidding to be online. There are several rams in the top one per cent for TCP (terminal carcase production) and LEQ (lamb eating quality).

“We’ve been really focusing on LEQ in particular.”

Donna and Bruce Loader drove from Ascot (Ballarat) to attend. “It was dry when we left home, but it was wet from Bendigo onwards.” The pair was in the market for three Poll Dorset rams. “Birthweight is a great consideration for us. You don't want them too big or too small.” Photo by Daneka Hill

Pepperton Stud is known for its rigorous use of LAMBPLAN data

The rams were kept reasonably dry thanks to a small gravel bank hurriedly constructed by the team to stop water from flowing into the shed.

“It was pouring in,” Mr Trewick said.

While busy managing their guests, the animals, the strengthening rain and the complimentary lunch, the Trewicks also found time to throw the next generation in front of the camera for the obligatory owner’s picture.

Tara Gibbons and Kurtis Trewick from Pepperton Stud smile for the obligatory ‘owner’s photo’. Photo by Daneka Hill

John Wight came from Bendigo to attend the sale.

“It was pouring rain in Bendigo around 10am,” Mr Wight said.

“I could hardly see. At one stage I had to stop — the rain was that heavy.

“You couldn’t see the cars in front of you.”

Mr Wight was in the market for one Poll Dorset ram and ended up buying Lot 14.

Alongside the Poll Dorsets, the White Suffolks offer another flavour of lamb sire for buyers. Photo by Daneka Hill

James Finnigan from Warrnambool was on the hunt for rams with low birthweight scores, high indexes and high growth weights.

“These will be used across small-framed first-cross ewes,” Mr Finnigan said.

“Although I probably shouldn’t admit they are small-framed. Everyone up here seems to have big sheep.”

Mr Finnigan was one of the biggest buyers on the day.

Hamish McCormick from Elmore. “We’ve been buying here a few years. I look for good structure, good feet and good breeding numbers. The LAMBPLAN data here helps a fair bit. It might be a really good ram but it’s not the one you’re looking for. Different farmers have different requirements.” Photo by Daneka Hill
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