AVERAGES were up by $256 this year at the Westray 41st annual on-property Merino and SAMM production sale at Peak Hill on September 21.
The stud welcomed a full clearance of 100 Merino and Poll Merinos rams, with the high quality rams averaging $2604.
Seventy Merinos sold for an average of $2595 and a top of $11,000 while 30 Poll Merinos sold to a $10,000 top and $2625 average.
The sale topper, Westray 0912, was purchased for $11,000 by the Swain family of Budda-View Partnership, Peak Hill.
By Lustre 5-2, the embryo transfer Merino ram had a body weight of 113 kilograms, a micron of 18.6, standard deviation (SD) of three, 16.1pc fibre diameter coefficient of variation (CV), 99.8pc comfort factor (CF) and a greasy fleece weight (GFW) of +40pc.
He measured 35.5 millimeters in the eye muscle depth (EMD) and five mm in the fat depth.
Phil and Kim Swain both said their purchase was the pick of the rams in the sale today.
“He is a good sirey ram with good bold wool, a soft muzzle and a good, long body,” Kim Swain said.
Westray co-principal Ray Cannon, Peak Hill, said he was probably purchased for his combination of quality and quantity and his structural correctness.
The Swain family have been breeding Merinos for over 50 years, taking home the highest quality rams they can each year.
Securing a total of eight rams, they averaged $4156 for their purchases.
The second top price ram and overall top price Poll Merino sold for $10,000 to James Warden from Kigwigil Partnership, Walgett.
Westray 0307 is a May born, artificial insemination son of Regal 9. He weighed 122kg, measured 36mm in the EMD and had a fat depth of six mm.
The 0307 ram had a GFW of +29pc, 19.8 micron, 2.9 SD, 14.6pc CV and 99.9pc CF.
Large multiple buyers included: Ballot Box Partnership, Yeoval, who bought 13 rams; RM. local buyers Stanford and sons, Peak Hill, purchased 10 rams; Cannon Partners Family, Tomingley, secured 13 rams and GW. and DK. Diener, Peak Hill bought eight rams.
Twenty three of the 30 South African Meat Merino (SAMM) rams offered sold for a 77 pc clearance, a top of $3200 and a $1417 average.
The $3200 SAMM ram sale topper was Westray 0289, purchased by a Broken Hill buyer through Brad Wilson, Landmark Dubbo.
He weighed 130kg, measured 48.5mm in the EMD and 10mm fat depth.
Ray Cannon, co-principal of Westray, said they were happy with the sale.
“We had an expanded catalogue and an increased average so it was all very, very good,” Mr Cannon said.
"There was half a dozen of new buyers and new faces which was also good.”
The sale was conducted by Elders Dubbo, Landmark Dubbo and Hartin Schute Bell. Auctioneers for the Merinos and Poll Merinos were Paul Jamieson, Elders, and John Settree, Landmark, with Jason Hartin taking bids for the SAMMs.