Rams topped at $1500 at the Bower family’s annual Stanley Vale Merino stud sale at Uralla last Friday.
The top price was shared by repeat buyers, Fred Cameron, “Englefield North”, Walcha, and Don Edmonds, “Muswell Hill”, Kentucky.
Both rams came from the 4-tooth draft.
Mr Cameron bagged the first lot of the sale – a big-framed, 16.8 micron ram (sired by 13-7363) which featured a comfort factor of 99.9, fibre diameter standard deviation of 3.1, yearling worm egg count of seven per cent, yearling staple length of 3.5, yearling liveweight of -2.1 and yield of 77.5.
Mr Cameron said he liked the ram’s size, frame and dense wool.
He runs about 900 Merino ewes and is looking to produce high-quality Italian spinners’ type wool for sale through New England Wool.
Mr Cameron grabbed a 17-month-old ram late in the sale for $500.
Mr Edmonds, another long-time Stanley Vale client, picked up a 16.7 micron ram (sired by 00-2900) with a wool comfort factor of 99.9, yearling liveweight of -0.5, standard deviation of 3.2 and yield of 74.6.
He picked up another 4-tooth ram for $1000.
Mr Edmonds, who shears 2000 Merinos, said he liked his sale topper’s dense, white and high-quality wool.
Like Mr Cameron, he aims to sell his clip through New England Wool to Italian mills.
The volume buyers of the sale were Mark and James Harrowell, Harglen Pastoral, “Glengarrie”, Bundarra.
Bidding by phone through Brad Wilson, Landmark stud stock, the Harrowells put together a draft of 11 rams to a top of $700.
They also bought 300 spring 2012 drop, early August shorn ewes for $105 a head.
Dudley Frazier, “Delveen”, Uralla, snapped up four rams to a top of $700.
The McRae family, Armidale, bought two rams for $800 each and 110 spring 2012 drop, August shorn ewes for $101.
The sale was conducted by Landmark with Angus Laurie, Landmark Armidale, on the rostrum.
Vernon Graham
Former editor of The Land, former Fairfax Media Agricultural Editor
Former editor of The Land, former Fairfax Media Agricultural Editor
