AIRLIE Merino and Poll Merino rams sold to a top of $6100 in the stud’s annual ram sale at Uralla Showground last Thursday.
The Power family offered 75 rams and sold 73 at auction to average $1905 with the remaining two lots selling immediately after the sale.
A one-year-old March shorn ram with Merryville bloodlines took top honors.
The 2017 Ultimate Clip Winner, David Menzies, "Castlebrook", Uralla, paired up with Bruce and Marg McConnaughty, "Elstow", Baradine to secure the poll ram.
"We saw the ram at the New England Merino Field Days and liked him," Mr McConnaughty said.
The October 2016 drop ram measured a micron of 18.8, a standard deviation (SD) of 3.), co-efficient of variance (CV) of 19.9 per cent, a comfort factor of 99, fat of 3.5 and eye muscle depth (EMD) of 40.
Mr Menzies joins his 16.3-micron flock in March while the McConnaughtys don't join until Anzac Day so sharing the ram was easy.
"We are transitioning from a horn to poll flock and are looking forward to this ram adding softness into our 18.5-micron flock," added Mr McConnaughty.
David and Paul McDonald, "Donnaville", Tamworth, secured three rams to average $2667 including the second top price of $3800 for a July shorn one year old Langdene blood horned ram.
The 18.8-micron ram measured a SD of 3.2, CV of 16.8 per cent, CF of 100, fat of 3, EMD of 37 and a greasy fleece weight of 133 per cent.
Securing nine rams for a $2312 average was, David Caslick, “Inglewood”, Wallabadah.
"I'm strict when choosing rams, aiming for rams with good body and fleece weight, micron and conformation. I always buy rams in the top end of the bodyweight and Airlie sheep have a finer micron, so I try to buy at the broader end, around 18- to 19-micron,” said Mr Caslick.
Underbidders on the top priced ram, Paul and Michael Evans, Tambua Poll Merinos, Cobar, didn't go home empty handed after securing two sires to average $2350.
The Evans run a 400-ewe stud flock alongside a commercial flock of 2000 ewes.
The sale was conducted by Schute Bell and Australian Wool Network, with Graham Andrews, Schute Bell Badgery Lumby, Armidale, auctioneering.
