With the Spring ram selling season upon us, buyers are keen to make the most of the excellent seasonal conditions and buoyant sheep prices and are looking to secure top sires for their flocks.
Award-winning commercial breeders Harold, Oscar and Meg Crouch, Karu Pastoral Pty Ltd, Condobolin, have been quick to secure an outstanding Towalba sire for $9000, more than two weeks before the stud's annual on-property sale which will be held on Friday September 17 and also on AuctionsPlus.
The August-shorn ram took home the Grand Champion Ram title from the 2021 Warren Show and was described by the judge as a standout on the day which attracted a large gathering of both commercial and stud sheep from some of the nation's leading Merino breeders.
Repeat Towalba buyers, the Crouch family, were drawn to the impressive sire when they attended the Mid State Merino Field Day at Marra in July where they were able to view and compare line-ups from the 17 studs on display.
Hay-based sheep classer Chris Bowman said the Crouch family chose Towalba 9.10 because of his outstanding lustrous wool quality combined with excellent length of staple, underline and purity of muzzle.
Mr Bowman added the sire had a proven background and would be a good addition to their stud going over big-framed ewes known for their volume and capacity to produce.
The Crouch family's ewes shore 8.9kg per head with 9 months' wool straight after the Don Brown Ewe Competition.
Towalba stud principal Warick Kopp said the Crouch family, and formerly the Crouch brothers, had been buying rams from the Peak Hill-based stud every three years for the best part of the last 15 years.
"They certainly know their sheep and I congratulate them on the success they have had in Merino ewe competitions over the past 21 years,'' he said.
"I am sure this ram, with its rich, nourished wool and great bone structure, will be a great addition to their breeding strategy. We had him shorn up last year and in the shed to sell at Dubbo and the only outings he has had have been Warren and the Mid State Field Day.
"I think when they saw the size of the ram they thought it best if he was shorn before they took him home. He cut 16.8kg of elite wool which in today's terms is very impressive.''
Unlike many commercial flocks, the Crouch family breeds its own rams and secures Towalba rams every few years for the nucleus of their breeding program and this has proven highly successful.
Mr Kopp said he would like to congratulate the Crouchs on the success they have had in ewe competitions for the past 21 years.
Earlier this year they won the Don Brown Memorial Merino Ewe Competition after coming second last year. The ewes were a product of a 90 per cent lambing and 28 per cent culling rate by classer Chris Bowman who the family holds in high regard.
A winning combination as Mr Bowman went on to win the Gordon McMaster Classer's Award.
In 2020, the Crouchs' 20 micron maidens won the Central West Association of Agricultural Shows Maiden Ewe Competition for the second consecutive year. Harold, Oscar and Meg and formerly the Crouch brothers, Harold and Barry, have an amazing record of winning the title 16 times in 21 years.
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Stephen Burns
Jackaroo on Merino sheep studs in the Riverina, a lifetime working on the land with sheep, cropping and cattle. Graduate Charles Sturt Uni with degree in Business and a Dean's Certificate. Graduate C.B. Alexander Agricultural College
Jackaroo on Merino sheep studs in the Riverina, a lifetime working on the land with sheep, cropping and cattle. Graduate Charles Sturt Uni with degree in Business and a Dean's Certificate. Graduate C.B. Alexander Agricultural College
