THE 73rd annual Armidale Merino Ram Show and Sale finished with a bang as serious buyers bid up on the quality rams offered from studs across the state.
A total of 66 rams sold of the 70 offered for a 94 per cent clearance and $4077 average, up over $1000 on 2017.
Rams were offered by Merryville, Alfoxton, Westvale, Demondrille, Airlie, Kurrajong Park, Hillcreston Park, Bocoble, Grathlyn, Nerstane, Glenbrook, Shalimar Park, Glanna, Waverley Downs, Stanley Vale, Maister’s Swamp, Egelabra, Pomanara, Arakoon, Queenlee, Yoorooga, Whyworry Park and Conrayn.
Wal and George Merriman, Merryville Merino stud, Boorowa, had a successful day exhibiting both the top-priced and second top-priced Merino rams.
Australian Wool Network (AWN) representative Harold Manton, purchased the top-priced ram Merryville M30923, for $18,000 on behalf of Chris Bourke property manager of “Eversleigh” owned by Warren Conventry, Lynoch Pty Ltd, Armidale.
The sale-topper was sired by the Ringmaster syndicate and weighed 125.5 kilograms with a measurement of 15.9 in the micron, 2.82 standard deviation (SD), 17.7pc fibre diameter coefficient of variation (CV) and comfort factor (CF) of 99.95pc.
As the purchaser of the top-priced ram, Lynoch Pty Ltd took home a Bromar sheep feeder donated by Bromar Engineering.
They also purchased the second top-priced ram, Merryville M30908, for $17,000. By the Grand Monarch 44th sire, the M30908 ram weighed 114kg and had a micron of 18.1, SD of 3.44, CV of 19.01pc and CF of 99.7pc.
Mr Manton said Lynoch are trying to breed finer, traditional crimping wool for the New England Wool’s reda contract. “These type of rams will put more wool on the sheep and also have the right crimp that suits New England Wool,” he said.
The Merriman family also exhibited the top-priced Poll Merino ram, Merryville M30920. It was purchased for $8500 by Edington Partnership, Armidale. Merryville Merinos sold seven of the eight rams they offered for an average of $9929.
Landmark stud stock Merino specialist, Brad Wilson, said it was a good sale with a strong average up on previous years and a good clearance for a multi-vendor sale.
“Buyers were selective, paying very good money for the sheep they were chasing. Overall there was a bit more confidence in the market,” Mr Wilson said.
Achill Pastoral Company, Armidale, were the largest volume buyer taking home a total of eight rams to a top of $5000 and a $1813 average.
Northern Merino Ram Breeders Association president Chris Clonan, Alfoxton Merinos, Armidale, said ram entries were consistent with numbers from previous years but buyers were slightly down.
“The crowd wasn’t the biggest crowd but everyone here were genuine buyers intending to buy. If you look at registrations, we were at about 80 buyers which is pretty solid,” Mr Clonan said.
“The sale was solid I believe. $18,000 is well up on last year, and our average is well over last years. Some rams that were passed in sold after.”
The sale was conducted by the AWN, Elders and Landmark, with Miles Pfitzner (AWN), Andy McGeoch (Elders), and Rick Power (Landmark) sharing the auctioneer duties.
