Return buyers bid spiritedly for their selections at the 30th annual Bocoble Merino stud on-property sale at Mudgee last Saturday, with 50 rams selling to a top of $3000 and averaging $1250.
Bocoble stud was established in 1893 by the Cox Brothers and now managed by Malcolm Cox and family at Moolarben, who offered 60 rams this year.
Seven Merino rams at 29 months sold to $3000 and averaged $1543 while five Poll Merino rams at 29 months averaged $1120. Twelve poll rams at 17 months of age averaged $1300 while 26 Merino rams of the same age averaged $1173.
Bocoble clients for the past five years, Geoff and Julie Brown, Okeford, Bindogundra near Parkes, attended with the intention of buying two rams, but left with three including the $3000 top price, a Merino ram weighing 123 kilograms and growing 17.5 micron wool.
The Browns bought some Bocoble ewes five years ago and now join 300 on the property east of Parkes.
“I really like the poll rams here,” Mr Brown said. “These Bocoble polls have the best fine wools I’ve seen.”
But he paid the top money for a Merino, which Mr Brown said was a standout with bright wool and big frame.
The Okeford flock adult ewes are growing an average 16.5 micron this year, but normally 17.5 and usually cut an average 6.8kg from September shearings.
Jack Webb and family, Cooyal Station, Mudgee, purchased six rams for a $1517 average and included the $2800 second top-priced ram growing 16.1 micron.
Joe Byrnes, Woodpark, Cullerin, returned and bought four rams averaging $1275 with two making the draft’s top money at $1400.
Eight rams were purchased by Kim and Janice Atkinson, Willow Vale, Gulgong, who have been on Bocoble blood long before the Coxs began on-property sales.
Their draft averaged $1175 with three rams making at $1400 to be used in their flock of 1500 ewes of 17.5 micron cutting 4kg fleeces.
Mr Atkinson said he doesn’t mules and his sheep were easy to run.
“They have minimal fly strike and no worm trouble, but grow beautiful soft wool,” he said.
Nigel McGrath, Argyll, Uarbry, has been buying Bocoble rams for more than 10 years and returned to take home 10 rams topping at $1300 and averaging $1058.
He said Bocoble sheep were not wrinkly and their wool was heavy cutting. The Argyll flock of 1400 ewes grow between 17 and 18 micron, depending on the year.
The sale was conducted by the Australian Wool Network with John Croake, Tamworth, the auctioneer.
