RAMS topped at $4000 and averaged $1376 at the 29th annual Cora Lynn Merino stud sale, Peak Hill on Wednesday, September 21 when 41 of 50 sold for the Lindsay family.
A swollen Bogan River and generally wet conditions as an aftermath of big September rains forced the Lindsay family to move their on-property sale to Peak Hill showground and the bad weather had also hindered several buyers from attending.
Stud principals Rob and Kay Lindsay and son, Steve, presented the sale team in peak condition considering the wettest winter and early spring the area had been experiencing, but exemplified the uniformity of the flock’s wools to moisture resistance displaying a team average of 18.8 micron with a 99.6 per cent comfort factor (CF).
However, it was long-standing clients for more than 15 years, Garry and Lindy Carney, “Eulalie North”, Wellington, who paid the top money while purchasing four rams averaging $1900 for their 18 to 20 micron self-replacing Merino flock cutting six to seven kilograms of wool on average depending on the year.
The sale-topper was a January/February 2015 drop son of a Wanganella/Cora Lynn Syndicate sire growing 18.7 micron wool with a standard deviation (SD) of 3.1 micron a coefficient of variation (CV) of 16.6pc and CF of 99.9pc.
Mr Carney said no ewe is over four years of age.
The policy is to get three lambs from each ewe then selling her and this practice works well as Mr Carney says he has no trouble selling surplus sheep.
“Our lambing percentages are good and we are holding a lot of good young sheep coming through for classing,” Mr Carney said.
Rams work for their keep at “Eulalie North” as they are joined twice and are used in autumn and late winter joinings.
Returning also was Rob Agnew, “Ardna Cross”, Peak Hill, who bought four rams paying to $3400 and an average of $2150.
His top buy was also a Jan/Feb ’15 drop son of a Wanganella/Cora Lynn Syndicate sire growing 19.5 micron wool with an SD of 3.3, CV of 16.9pc and CF of 99.3pc.
Another at $2600 was the same but growing 19.3 micron wool.
The sale was conducted by Elders Dubbo with Andy McGeoch auctioneer.