REPEAT buyers who appreciated the quality on offer took advantage of a softer market at the annual Merryville Merino stud and flock ewe sale, held by the Merriman family at Boorowa earlier this month.
Dry conditions across the State impacted on the sale, with 457 of the 545 stud ewes selling under the hammer to a top of $120 and averaging $87, while 117 of the 350 flock ewes sold at $55 a head.
The top pen selling for $120 were 24 one-and-a-half-year-old fine wool stud ewes, June shorn, which sold to Tom Booth, Alimold Pty Ltd, "Kiola", Boorowa.
Mr Booth said he was after a good line of one-and-a-half-year-old ewes to build numbers in his Merryville-blood flock, and as such he purchased the entire line of 125 ewes of that description to average $104.
The Hoadley family, Blayney, paid $105 a head for a pen of 29 cast-for-age (CFA) superfine wool stud ewes, May shorn, with lambs just weaned.
They also purchased a pen of 23 CFA ultrafine wool ewes, all of which had tested below 16.5-micron at 20 months of age, for $90.
Volume buyer was Mark Ford, S. Ford and Sons, "Hillside", Campbells Creek, Victoria, who took home 154 one-and-a-half-year-old superfine and medium wool stud ewes for $70 each, along with a pen of 117 one-and-a-half-year-old flock ewes for $55 each.
The sale was conducted by Elders and Landmark, both of Boorowa, with Steve Ridley and Rick Power as auctioneers.
Brendan Mansbridge
Livestock writer for The Land.
Livestock writer for The Land.
