A STUD record top price of $5600 was paid by clients of Kilfeera Park Merinos who looked at Australian Sheep Breeding Values to hit the wool market's "sweet spot".
Of the 50 rams offered for sale under the Helmsman system, 41 sold for a $2551 average - a rise of $581 on last year's $1970 average.
Kilfeera Park Merino stud principal Murray McKenzie, Benalla, Vic, said a solid line up of rams attracted solid bidding throughout the sale.
"We broke last year's record for top price and it is definitely our best average, so we are very pleased," Mr McKenzie said. "They are a very even group of rams in both size and quality."
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He said the offering included 13 poll rams and 37 horned rams, with growing interest in the poll offering which had been introduced for the past five years.
Buyer of the top-priced ram at $5600 was Rose Nevinson, Cobb Run Merino Stud, Booroorban, for Kilfeera Park 200214, a May 2020-drop ram with a 17.6-micron fleece.
The 104-kilogram ram had a Merino Production (MP+) Index of 162 and a Fibre Production (FP+) of 151, ranking him in the top 30 per cent and 20pc, respectively.
The Roseville Park 160006 'Woody' son measured 3.5 standard deviation (SD), 16.9pc coefficient of variation (CV) and comfort factor (CF) of 100pc.
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The $5000 second-highest priced ram, Kilfeera Park 200224 a 96kg horned RP 'Woody' son with a 17.9-micron fleece, was purchased through Elders, for a NSW client.
The top poll ram was Kilfeera Park 200159, paid by ET Withers, Barnawartha, Vic, at $3300 for a 97kg ram, with a 19.1-micron fleece which was a KP170007 son.
Volume buyer at the sale was Frederick Hill, Benalla, Vic, who purchased 11 rams to a $4900 top and $2890 average.
Guest vendor Kilfeera Park Poll Merino stud's Clyde and Sue McKenzie sold eight of 10 rams offered for a $1438 average and $2100 top paid by Mark Radford, Creightons Creek, Vic.
Elders Wangaratta district wool manager Rex Bennett said the catalogue's stand-out sire 'Woody' was growing to be a super sire within the stud, injecting attractive wool qualities to the stud flock.
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Annabelle Cleeland
Annabelle Cleeland is a Stock & Land journalist. She has worked at Australian Community Media for more than a decade serving in a number of roles including editor, senior journalist and national sheep & wool writer. She runs a fine Merino wool property with her young family in North-East Victoria.
Annabelle Cleeland is a Stock & Land journalist. She has worked at Australian Community Media for more than a decade serving in a number of roles including editor, senior journalist and national sheep & wool writer. She runs a fine Merino wool property with her young family in North-East Victoria.
