A warm summer’s day brought a few new faces, but the majority were return buyers at the Walgett showground for the third annual Coronga White Suffolk ram sale last Friday.
With 52 rams offered a clearance of 100 per cent was achieved along with a top price of $1150 and an average of $940.
Surpassing last year’s top of $1025 and average of $851, the sale was the best yet for the Jackson family in Walgett.
The top priced ram was the heaviest on offer at 110 kilogram. He had an estimated Lambplan breeding value birthweight (BWt) of 0.40 and an eye muscle depth (EMD) of 2.60 millimetres.
Purchased by Michael Hoare, Bel-air Pastoral company, Nyngan, he will be used as a terminal sire for about 500 ewes.
Mr Hoare also purchased six other rams on the day with a total average of $971.
The second top price of $1100 for a 94kg ram with a BWt of 0.35 and an EMD of 2.20mm was bought by volume buyers, the Murray family, “Lone Pine”, Lightning Ridge.
The Murrays, who have been buying from the stud since 2004, took home 24 rams and also the five rams that were on offer to assist the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
They run 6000 ewes on their 11,331ha property.
“These rams fit our operation well. The Coronga rams are very consistent, there is not much between the top to the bottom,” Campbell Murray said.
The Harthog family, Walgett, purchased six rams for an average of $966.
Miralwyn Cotton, Walgett, bought five rams averaging $900.
In a very consistent sale there were two rams who sold for $1050 and a further 13 went for $1000.
Vendor, Peter Jackson, Orange, was delighted with the sale.
“It has been a very tough year here,” he said
“A lot of people are making big decisions on what and how many they can join.
“To have a total clearance at such a good increased average is a very pleasing recognition of the quality of rams that we have for our Walgett clients.
“A great result to a line of old clients and a couple of new ones, a great result for everybody.
“There were five rams that we put up that were not in the catalogue as they were not quite up to the standard of our best quality assurance program.
“They made $4000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
“I think it is a wonderful reflection on the type of people who are in this district.
“They will get a good result out of the rams and the Royal Flying Doctor Service will benefit from the donation.”
The sale was conducted by Elders Walgett and Clemson Hiscox and Company with Andy McGeoch manning the rostrum.