A LONGSTANDING tradition of breeding predictable, uniformed and profitable Poll Merinos drew a large crowd to the Coddington Uardry annual on-property ram sale at Avymore, Dunedoo last Friday.
Commercial woolgrowers from as far afield as Tambo, Qld, Goondiwindi, Qld and Flinders Island, Tas, snapped up the entire draft of 120 Poll Merino rams to a top of $7500 and to an average of $2354.
Vendor Graham Coddington said he was very pleased with the result.
He said the draft this year had been very even, with quality right throughout.
"The rams had beautiful nourished wools and quality carcases," Mr Coddington said.
"Our clients upped their mark a bit to pay more because the quality was there."
The top-priced ram, lot 6, CU20-0033, sold to Eugene Bennetts, Merrygoan, at $7500.
Just moments before, Mr Bennetts had also secured lot 1 at $5500.
Sired by Ridgeway Advanced RA16-0021, the 16-month-old top ram carried a 18.7-micron fleece with a 2.7 standard deviation, a 14.5 per cent coefficient of variation and 100pc comfort factor, and had a fat depth of 5.0 millimetres and eye muscle depth of 29.0mm.
Mr Bennetts said the ram had everything he was looking for.
"He's a good, plain bodied ram with very good wool," he said.
Volume buyers included Finlayson Pastoral Company, Goondiwindi, Qld, which purchased 24 rams to an average of $1250; Mantai Nominees, Dubbo, which purchased 18 rams to an average of $2777; Tarrina Trust, Tambo, Qld, which purchased 15 rams to an average of $1750 and Mike Retallack, Milla Molong, Mandurama, who purchased 12 rams to an average of $2145.
A Coddington Uardry client of thirty years, Terry Nagorcka, Alpine Parks, Parkes, purchased three rams to an average of $4083.
Mr Nagorcka said that for three decades, the stud's rams had kept the dust out, weighed well and lambed well.
"I'm very happy with Graham's progeny. I love them to death," he said.
"The rams I bought today are deep-crimped, high-loched, with a low micron, good eye muscle and bodyweight, and wool that will keep the dust out in the red soil at Parkes.
"We hope to produce two lots of lambs to make the rams work a bit harder each year and get our money's worth."
Also among the buyers was Greg Sheather, Myora, Tooma, a first-time purchaser who this year secured two rams to an average of $3,375.
Mr Sheather said the rams would be joined to five-year-old ewes as part of a new breeding program.
"I've known Graham for a long time but I'm just getting back into farming," Mr Sheather said.
"I'm in the market to purchase rams at the moment and I'll buy ewes over the next two to three months as people wean the lambs off their five-year old-ewes."
Mr Sheather said it was the rams' wool qualities that really stood out to him.
"The rams have a very waterproof wool and I can take them to a high rainfall environment," he said.
"I know they'll breed waterproof, water-resistant sheep."
Selling agents were Brad Wilson, Nutrien Livestock, and Scott Thrift, Elders Stud Stock.
Have you signed up to The Land's free daily newsletter? Register below to make sure you are up to date with everything that's important to NSW agriculture.
