THE drizzling rain gave producers a good excuse to down tools at home and head to the Bobar Poll Dorset ram sale at Braidwood on Thursday.
Recent falls had also given prime lamb growers from surrounding areas the confidence to invest in new sires, with a total clearance of the 100 rams offered by the Ramm and Tozer family.
The sale reached a top price of $1900, with the 100 rams averaging $973 a head.
The sale-topping ram was owned and offered by 15-year-old Lachie Ramm, and purchased by last year's highest bidder, Neil Cummins, "Monavale", Laggan.
Mr Cummins runs a first cross ewe operation and has been purchasing Bobar rams since 1977, with their good doing ability and longevity keeping him coming back.
"This ram has the right fleshing and muscling, a good clean head and is a good Dorset type," he said.
The top ram weighed 98 kilograms, had a fat depth of six millimetres and an eye muscle area of 28.8 square centimetres. Purchasing three rams this year to average $1633, Mr Cummins will put the new sires out with his ewes in about four weeks.
Mr Cummins said 80 per cent of his lambs from this year have already been sold, with 60pc destined for export, and one line of six-month-old lambs averaging a dressed weight of 32.5 kilograms.
Frank Kaverney, Tallawong Merinos, Yass, selected his four rams from the first eight lots, paying to a top of $1600 and averaging $1375.
Having recently taken on an extra leased block, Mr Kaverney was picking up extra rams for crossbreeding this year, on the lookout for good muscling rams, with length and longevity.
"I went hard in the front row, but I think I got good value on the day because prices didn't ease that much across the catalogue," Mr Kaverney said.
Other volume buyers included A.H., F.J. and T.P. Morrison, Queanbeyan, who paid to a top of $1600 - the equal second highest price - purchasing six rams to average $1266.
R., D. and B. Reynolds, Fullerton Station, Crookwell, bought five rams to $1300, averaging $1100, while T.E.F. Hughes took four to $1500, averaging $1375, and Yeo Yeo Pastoral, "Carrara", Stockinbingal, purchased three rams to a $1000 top and $866 average.
Vendor Jamie Ramm was happy with the complete clearance of ram, and said everyone got what they wanted.
"The high scanning rams and the ones with plenty of length, muscle and thickness were what buyers were after," he said.
Auctioneer Steve Ridley, Elders Golburn, said it was a good solid sale for vendor and buyer alike, with something for everyone in the lineup.
"It was mostly repeat buyers, coming from Yass, Gunning, Goulburn, Cootamundra and the local area, and it wasn't extreme in anyway, which keeps both sides happy," he said.
The sale was conducted by Elders Goulburn and Landmark Braidwood, with Mr Ridley at the rostrum.