BIDDING reached a top of $4200 at the 29th annual Cressbrook Merinos ram sale at Armidale on Friday.
Eighty six of the 100 rams were sold in the auction for an average of $1657, with another five rams sold immediately after the sale.
Long-time clients Peter and Guy Croft, “Wongalee”, Uralla, purchased the top ram.
The Crofts have been Cressbrook clients for more than 50 years.
The 15.3-micron ram, which had a clean fleece weight of 131 per cent and worm egg count of -20, will be used in the family’s 1200 ewe commerical flock.
“He’s a big framed, upstanding ram and we’re looking to breed bigger framed, heavier cutting sheep,” Guy Croft said.
Charlie Clark, “Taits Gully”, Armidale, bought a ram for $4000 and another for $3800, and Roy Robertson, “Wanderriby”, Wollomombi, bought a ram for $3800.
The sale’s volume buyer was Barry Golland, “White Rock”, Quirindi, who took home 14 rams for a top of $2600 and an average of $1885.
James Swales, “Woodlands”, Torryburn, bought 11 rams for an average of $1345 and James Harris, “Abbington”, Uralla, purchased 10 rams for an average of $1420.
Cressbrook Merinos stud principal Lach Fulloon said clients were chasing bigger framed rams with high fleece weights, good quality wool and low worm egg counts (WECs).
“Our microns and WECs are in the top 10 to 5pc relative to the breed on Merino Select and we wish to hold that there and push our fleece weights and body weights up.”
The sale was conducted by Landmark Armidale, with John Settree, Landmark Stud Stock, taking the bids.