By Lloyd Phillips

There were nine sellers, 97 registered personal and online buyers and 133 lots of stud and herd Kalahari Reds, Boer goats and dairy goats at the auction on 21 September.

Among the sale’s highlights was the R20 000 paid for a Saanen ewe, a South African record for a ewe of this dairy goat breed.

The auctioneer, Danie Strauss of Central Saleyard, says ice-cold weather did not dampen the white-hot enthusiasm and excitement among buyers and sellers at the Fire and Wine Arena. This was proven by total sales of R2 327 000.

The auction’s top price was R140 000 for lot 7, a still unproven but registered 16-month-old Kalahari Red ram (KR100-23067) bred by Anton and Rickus Bothma from the Vivo district of Limpopo.

The ram’s key statistics include a Logix Merit Index of 105, a growth index of 124 and a reproduction index of 94. He was bought by Leroy and Cindy van der Merwe of Red Stag Kalahari Reds from the Lephalale district, Limpopo.

The Bothmas also bred the auction’s top-priced Kalahari Red ewe. Lot 41 was a 25-month-old registered and pregnant ewe (KR100-22278) that had already lambed twice to deliver five kids.

Her key statistics include a Logix Merit Index of 94, a growth index of 99 and a reproduction index of 104. She was sold for R60 000 to Andrew Robberts of the Maize Valley stud farm in Hoopstad, Free State.

The auction’s top prices for Boer goat breeding material were nearly on par with each other. Lot 16, a 25-month-old and still unproven registered ram (1162-22074), was bred by Sarel Kriek of Schoonheid Boer Goat stud in the Schweizer-Reneke district, North West.

This lot’s key statistics are a Logix Merit Index of 101, a growth index of 92 and a reproduction index of 108. He was sold for R22 000 to Chris and Elicia Viljoen of Rholocia farm in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng.

A 16-month-old registered and pregnant Boer goat ewe (1146-23011, lot 57) was sold for R20 000 to Mardou Boerdery in the Magaliesburg district, Gauteng. She was bred by Johan Boshoff of Bosland Boer Goats in Marble Hall, Limpopo. She has a Logix Merit Index of 98, a growth index of 105 and a reproduction index of 88.

Strauss told African Farming that dairy goat breeds are increasingly being offered for sale at auctions for meat breeds. This is because the latter breeds are increasingly producing triplets, and their mothers struggle to nurse all three kids. The dairy goat ewes can provide surrogate milk.

The twelve Saanen and four Toggenburg ewes offered at the auction also fetched good prices – the R20 000 paid for lot 155, a 27-month-old registered Saanen ewe that had already lambed twice, is a new South African price record.

This ewe, LEDIG 2002MS 19403-22028, was bred by Joubert Fourie of Limpopo Dairy from the Louis Trichardt district. She was bought by Bernick and Andrea Fourie of Baobab Kalahari Reds in Lephalale.

According to Fourie, this ewe produced 1 000 litres of milk in her first lactation. A lactation period is 305 days. He says the dairy goat industry is growing well, although people don’t yet fully realise the value of dairy goats. Nevertheless, he is satisfied with the outcome of the auction.

Strauss said: “The positivity of everyone involved from the start, especially the sellers, was evident at the auction. The quality offered definitely attracted people, even though it was bitterly cold. I must heartily congratulate all the sellers and thank everyone for the massively awesome day.”

CdP Auctioneering Services handled the marketing and bidding for the sale.