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Lochs Farming - AuctionsPlus Sale Report

10 November 2025

About Lochs Farming

Lochs Farming is a seedstock and commercial Shedding Maternal Composite sheep and Angus cattle farming operation on the south-west coast of Victoria. Their 1,600-hectare property is exposed to high rainfall and varied terrain, a challenging environment that the team says provides the ultimate testing ground for robust genetics.

Originally established with a Romney stud (first registered in 1921), the business made a strategic shift in the past decade. In 2010, they introduced maternal composite genetics, and by 2020 they had begun transitioning to a shedding composite flock. Under the leadership of co-owner Rob Costin and a strong management team, Lochs Farming has grown its scale and refined its genetic program to deliver sheep built for tough conditions.

“We were running about 8,000 ewes ourselves, and the amount of money and time we were spending on shearing, for basically zero reward, was a big financial loss to our business,” said Rob Costin. “So we decided to get rid of it all and build something new.”

Their focus is now firmly on breeding shedding maternal composite sheep.

“We wanted to create an animal that could perform under pressure, produce plenty of lambs that hit the ground running, and grow quickly,” Rob explained.

AuctionsPlus Sale - Thursday 6 November 2025 

Lochs Farming conducted two separate sales on November 6 via AuctionsPlus, achieving outstanding results across both.

1. Shedding Maternal Composite Ewe Sale

• Lots offered: 12 

• Clearance rate: 100% 

• Top price: $335 per head 

• Average price: $307 per head

2. Shedding Maternal Composite Ram Sale

• Head sold: 69 (including 8 sold post-auction) 

• Clearance rate: 81% 

• Top price: $6,500 per head 

• Average price: $1,774 per head

These results mark a record achievement for Lochs Farming on AuctionsPlus and reflect strong demand for shedding maternal composites among both commercial and stud buyers. 

“I’d say the majority of the ewes went relatively local, within about an hour of Colac,” Rob said. “Then around 350 ewes went over to Byaduk, south of Hamilton.” 

“As for the rams, they went across three states. Some are heading into South Australia, with about 15 rams going up into central New South Wales, 14 to Donald, and around 10 to a property near Cavendish. There were also quite a few that stayed local.”

Agent Commentary

The sale was conducted by Charles Stewart & Co Colac.

Livestock agent Peter McConachy, who assisted with the sale, said “The Costin family have been loyal clients for 50 years, and Rob Costin is doing a very good job with new genetics for the shedding sheep industry. We were very pleased with the sale, with interest from buyers across Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia.”

When asked about the clearance rate, Peter added, “There was plenty of interest on the day. The sales were very strong throughout the auction, achieving a total clearance of all the ewes. Nearly the balance of the rams has been sold post-auction, taking the clearance to in excess of 90%.”

What It Means & Why It Matters

• Achieving a 100% clearance on the ewe offering highlights strong market confidence in Lochs Farming’s maternal and shedding genetics.

 • An 81% clearance rate and a top ram sale of $6,500 on the rams represents a highly successful outcome, underscoring that the offering was well matched to market demand. 

• For buyers, Lochs Farming’s environment, high rainfall and challenging terrain, ensures that their stock are performance-tested under rigorous conditions.

• For Lochs Farming, these results reinforce the success of their transition into shedding maternal composites and confirm their reputation for delivering genetics that combine productivity, low input, and finishing ability.

Looking Forward

While record prices were achieved, Rob emphasised that Lochs Farming’s breeding program remains focused on delivering value and opportunity for all buyers. 

“A few of the top rams made some good money, which is encouraging,” he said. “But we also made sure the average didn’t rise too much - we want to keep our genetics affordable and accessible. It’s really important to us that buyers can walk away with viable animals. 

“We’ll continue offering more than we think we need to ensure there are always quality, affordable rams available.”

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