LOYAL clients showed their confidence in the Yalgoo Merino breeding operation as the Nivison family celebrated their 25th ram sale at Walcha last weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
Productive rams with bright stylish wool had buyers competing to reach a sale top of $4600, with 55 of the 77 rams offered selling for an average of $1371.
Les Wright, Orange, returned to secure the top-priced ram for the second consecutive year.
Mr Wright took particular interest in lot seven which had Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) including 152 on the Fibre Production Plus (FP+) index and 169 on the Yalgoo 7/15 index - a customer index designed to move Yalgoo's commercial flock towards a cut of seven kilograms of 15-micron wool - whilst maintaining an emphasis on body weight and staple length.
The ram, sired by Y80068,"ticked all the boxes", according to Mr Wright who also purchased a second ram for $2000.
Securing the second-top priced ram at $3600 were clients of 20 years Keddies Pastoral, "Furnleigh", Scone.
The ram had ASBVs including 151 for the FP+ index and 158 in the Yalgoo 7/15 index.
Keddies Pastoral manager Elliot McKinnon accompanied owners Russell and Sarah Keddies to the sale and secured the biggest draft on the day, loading 11 rams to average $1655.
With a 5000 head flock and joining 2500 ewes each year, the big bodies and wool type of Yalgoo rams suit the Keddies' fine wool operation.
Other significant purchasers on the day included Yarraford Trust, Glen Innes, which secured four rams for a top of $2400 and average of $1650.
Dr Ross Dwyer, Burrowa Hills Grazing Company, Boorowa, had been impressed with the influence Yalgoo rams have had on decreasing the fibre diameter in his flock and took home six rams topping at $2200 and averaging $1200.
Top quality wool with good handling and fly resistance brought R. Watt and Son, "Moura", Mandagery, back again to load six rams averaging $834.
The progressive nature of the Yalgoo breeding program has kept Ross and Penny King, Walcha, coming back, this year securing five rams to average $800.
"The Yalgoo rams boast a high quality and style of wool and are very productive," Mr King said.
The sale was conducted by Elders Walcha, with auctioneer Andy McGeoch.
