Enthusiastic response as farmers take advantage of relatively rare access to specific bloodlines at handful of sales.

A handful of February dispersal and flock reduction sales has marked a changing of the guard among some sheep breeds.

Sales include the Pikoview Sufftex dispersal for Wilson and Val Devery, Wilden, Otago, offered only on bidr, for a full clearance of 146 ewes averaging $692 per head; an Elite Charollais flock reduction for Scott Linklater, Halcombe, which sold 225 sheep at an average of $454; a reduction sale for Boyd and Anne Young of Ratapiko Dorpers, which sold 246 ewes for a $347 average; and a dispersal for Todd and Fleur Anderson of Tralee Southdown, Winton, where 195 sheep sold for an average of $770, among which ram lambs averaged $975, ewe lambs $545, and ewes $820.

PGG Wrightson Livestock national genetics manager Callum McDonald says the sales have been well supported.

“With some established breeders exiting the industry, younger farmers are coming through, taking the opportunity to buy specific genetics that have been bred and recorded over a long period. While we have had a few of these sales recently, in general, for a particular breed this doesn’t come around often. 

“Those who are dispersing or reducing a flock have spent many years and plenty of dollars investing in genetics to develop that particular breed. Having elite ewes available gives others relatively rare access to integrate those bloodlines into their own flocks,” he says.

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