A LARGE crowd of buyers gathered for the Northern Merino Ram Breeders Association Sale in Armidale on Wednesday where prices peaked at $21,000.
Despite seasonal conditions impacting the consistency of results at recent ram sales, predictions from vendors and agents were correct, with the top end of the auction bringing strong prices.
Overall 64 of 77 rams sold to average $3435 and top at $21,000. It was the supreme champion ram of the show from the Davis family, Demondrille stud, Harden, who topped the sale when he was purchased by Rodney and Graham Kent, Kurrajong Park, Delungra, after eclipsing a number of stud underbidders including Conrayn at Berridale.
Speaking after the sale, Rodney Kent said he first heard about the ram after his success in Canberra and watched him throughout the Armidale showing on Tuesday.
He is just a good, big upstanding ram, he said.
There is nothing wrong with his constitution and he has a beautiful bit of wool on him.
The son of Demondrille BB 140072 out of a Demondrille special stud ewe, the $21,000 ram was bound for Kurrajong Park stud ewes.
Depending on semen collection, their was a chance the ram would be shown at Sydney Royal.
It was the highest priced ram the Demondrille stud had sold, with their three rams averaging $9333.
Stud principal Andrew Davis said they had hoped the ram would hit $30,000 but adjusted their predictions after assessing the market.
He is our lead show ram for this year and we dont normally offer a sheep of this quality at a multi-vendor sale, Mr Davis said.
We just thought we will test the market. Probably decided to sell him for a little bit less than what we were originally but that was the way the sale started.
The second top price ram of $12,000 was a Merryville sire purchased on behalf of an Elders Cooma client.
A Conrayn sire from Jayne Lette, Berridale, was purchased for $11,500 by W and M Gow while the reserve grand champion ram from Airlie sold for $10,000 to Glenbrook and Glenburnie Merino studs.
The sale was conducted by AWN, Landmark and Elders.
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
