White Suffolk rams topped at $1600 at the Petali stud annual on-property sale at Walcha on Thursday.
Martin and Cheryl Oppenheimer offered 68 White Suffolk rams with 42 selling at auction for an average $1100, up strongly on last year’s $1003.
The sale topper was snapped up by repeat buyer, Jim Hunt, “Eulo”, Niangala.
Mr Hunt’s ram was a Farrer 120057 son who had Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of +0.34 for birthweight, weaning weight of +10.1kg, post weaning weight of +16.1kg, +1.6 millimetres for eye muscle depth (EMD), and -55 for worm egg count (WEC).
He also took home the second top price ram, a son of Farrer 130076, for $1500.
The ram had ASBVs of +0.37 for birthweight, weaning weight of +11, post weaning weight of +17.5kg, +1.9mm for EMD, and -36 for WEC.
Annie Hutchison, J. Fletcher and Son, Kentucky Station, Kentucky, took home seven rams to a top of $1400 for a son of Farrer 120057 with ASBVs of +0.01 for birthweight, +7.2kg for weaning weight, +12.3kg for post weaning weight, +2.9mm for EMD and WEC of -57.
Jerry Rogers from Kentucky Station said about 1000 Merino ewes were joined to White Suffolks.
The station runs about 15,000 Merinos and about 1000 Angus cattle.
The Webb family, Armidale, took home six rams to a top of $1200.
Simon Croft, Milparinka Pastoral Company, Guyra, snapped up four rams to a top of $1300 twice.
Petali stud principal, Martin Oppenheinmer, was happy with the result considering the tough competition in the prime lamb seedstock sector and the swing back to higher Merino joinings because of strong wool prices.
The sale was conducted by Landmark Boultons Walcha with Paul Dooley, Tamworth, the guest auctioneer.