Brian Hales looks at two of his Jacob rams, the breed mentioned in the Bible.
Brian Hales looks at two of his Jacob rams, the breed mentioned in the Bible.
Nearly 200 sheep changed hands as Carrfield Livestock held a sale of exotic sheep.
It was a sale so rare that it probably has never been seen before for its variety of breeds and probably will never be seen again.
The core of the sale was nearly 80 head of sheep from Brian Hales who has sold the majority of his land out at Wimbledon and has now disposed of his amazing collection of rare breeds nurtured over 40-plus years.
There were also several other exotic sheep breeders who added even more interest to the sale.
A crowd of more than 100 swelled as the Small Holders Auction concluded and was a mix of buyers and the curious, with the latter taking the chance to see sheep breeds never normally visible to the public.
Two Karakul rams which sold for $105 each.
These big Valais rams went for $150 each.
These included Arapawa, Gotland, David Tuarts, Karakul, Awassi, and survivors from New Zealand’s more remote islands like Campbell Island and Pitt Island.
Buyers had a variety of reasons for buying these exotic breeds valued for more their uniqueness and novelty than their economic potential.
One farmer from the Esk Valley who had lost all his unique flock when Cyclone Gabrielle flooded his property was grateful to be able to replace his losses in such a rare opportunity.
Another had his eye on the rare breeds with a plan to breed them up for release in a hunting resort and an ownerwith just a hobby as an exotic breeder runs his sheep on four rented properties which takes some juggling of management.
These Gotland ewes sold for $100 each.
Price was a point of discussion – what value rarity? This rather depended on the buyer’s needs. Some with pedigree registered received bids in excess of $800 especially for rams – Valais sheep being in demand.
But the average sheep ranged between $70 and $150 – what you might see in a normal Thursday sale.
For Brian Hales who witnessed the sale, to have nearly all his stock sold was a blessing.
“It had to happen some time,” he said adding he was pleased to see they went to buyers genuinely interested in the uniqueness of his flock.
Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist based in Dannevirke. For the past 11 years he has covered any community story telling good news about the district.
