HUNTING down mules-free rams were a good number of supporters at the recent Parkdale SRS annual ram sale held on-property at Dubbo.
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Selling 52 of the 74 rams offered, a sale topper of $3500 and sale average of $1515 was made at the completion of the auction.
Bidding started in a solid form from the start with the extension of the sale called a number of times.
The top priced ram, a 12 month-old triplet with a micron of 19.4 and a coefficient value(CV) of 17.9 percent was taken home by Hugh Taylor, Boxleigh Merinos, Wellington.
"He was a triplet and a double poll ram," he said.
"I was looking for outside blood, he is very correct with beautiful wool, there is not much not to like about him,
"I hope that he will carry on the good firm fat and muscle Australian sheep breed values (ASBVs) and a good clean fleece weight.
"It is very important to me that I select rams from a non-mulesing status stud."
Eleven rams will be transported to Victoria with the volume purchaser selecting the draft for an average of $1456.
Auctioneer Lincoln McKinlay, GTSM felt the sale was very solid right the way through.
"The way this helmsman sale started I thought we would get through the sale well and we did,
"It has averaged well and a lot have picked through to the back end of the catalogue."
Don Mudford, stud co-principal was very surprised it went so well as they have had a horrid season.
"A lot of our customers have sold from half to all of their sheep, we totally expected not to sell all of the rams but we know we have clients who will purchase once the rain comes.
"It was good to see new purchasers who want to move to a non-mulesed flock.
"They are realising this is the way the industry is heading.
"Our average was up about $300 from last year. We sold a few less but the buyers know what they want and need to buy to breed a blowfly resistant Merino flock. The SRS system has the capacity to breed enough rams in the 12 to 20 micron range for the entire Merino flock in Australia. We can be blowfly resistant within two generations."
The sale was conducted by GTSM with Michael Glasser and Lincoln McKinlay controlling the bids.
