A DECISION to increase its offering to 40 rams has paid dividends for Glenburnie Merino stud at its second annual ram sale on Thursday.
The crowd of buyers braved the wet conditions at the Walcha showgrounds to snap up 35 of the 40 rams on offer at an average of $1523.
After a stellar first individual sale last year ,where 25 rams were offered, Thursday's result was above the 2020 average of $1150, while the top price of $3300 was well above the $1900 benchmark set last year.
Auctioneer John Croake was made to wait until the 38th ram in the catalogue to take the sale-high bid as the tag 99 ram was knocked down to Don and Robyn Edmonds, Musswell Hill, Kentucky.
By the 1581 ram, the top seller weighed 87 kilograms, had a micron fibre diametre of 16.4, a 16.5 per cent coefficient of variation, a comfort factor of 99.9pc and a 2.7-micron standard deviation.
Having bought a ram from Glenburnie at last year's Armidale Merino Ram Show, Mr Edmonds said he was eager to take home another outstanding ram.
"So far, we have been very happy with the progeny and they are coming through really well," Mr Edmonds told The Land.
"I thought this ram had a lot of really good qualities, the crimp, style, you name it, it was all there.
"When he gets home he'll have about 40 or 50 maiden ewes to go with in about May and given he's not going too far, we're confident he will be pretty well suited to our operation."
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Glenburnie Merino Stud's Bateson Pittman said the top seller was "a real standout".
"I think his body weight was a good indication that he might go quite well," he said.
"I think he had a good wool type with a nice frame and good skin for wool production, which is what it all comes down to."
First-time buyer Stuart Bateson, Maltara, Gwabegar, lead the sale's volume buyers snapping up 10 rams at an average of $1380.
"I saw the rams at the New England Merino Field Days at Uralla and really liked the look of them," Mr Bateson said.
"These rams are probably one micron or one and half microns broader than what I have been buying, so I'm really keen to see how they go.
"They'll be shorn at the beginning of March and then they'll go out with Merino ewes on April 1."
Other volume buyers included Boxley Grazing Company, Boxley, four rams at an average of $1675, Julius Grazing Company, Ashford, three rams at an average of $1200 and Glenroy Pastoral Company, Guyra, three rams at an average of $1000.
"We're over the moon, it's the best sale we've ever had," Bateson Pittman said.
"Considering last year was the first we had as a standalone vendor, this result is pretty remarkable.
"Also, it was really good to see some new and return clients from far and wide and we are very grateful for their support."
The sale was conducted by AWN with John Croake auctioneering.
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