Wet conditions did not dampen buyers' spirit at annual Eastern Riverina Poll Merino multi-vendor ram sale held at the Culcairn Showgrounds on Thursday last week, where an 89 per cent clearance rate was achieved.
Four studs offered a total of 114 Poll Merino rams, of which 102 were sold to a top of $7250 and average of $2865. This was slightly back on last year when 113 of 127 rams sold for a $2995 average, however the clearance rate remained steady.
Vendors included Simon and Amanda Bahr of Meadow View, Henty, the Pitson family of Valley Vista, Culcairn, Cameron, Glenda and Matthew Martin of Old Cobran, Mullengandra near Holbrook, and Ruston and Ryan Donovan of Hurlstone Park, Mulwala.
It was the lead lot of the catalogue which met strong competition from prospective buyers which drove its price tag to the sale top of $7250.
The 18.30-micron Lot 1 ram, sired by a Poll Boonoke 612 grandson, was knocked down to EA Friedrich and Son, Gerogery, who also purchased Lot 18 for $1250.
The sale-topper had an standard deviation of 2.8, coefficient of variation of 15.2pc and comfort factor of 99.6pc.
Meadow View stud's Simon Bahr said he was a "good balance between wool and carcase".
"He is a big framed ram, he was structurally correct with good, white, long-stapled wool," Mr Bahr said.
"There was a bit of competition on him, he started off the sale well for us."
The Lot 1 ram was one of 40 rams sold by the Meadow View stud which averaged $2537.
Valley Vista stud sold 33 rams to a top of $6500 and averaged $3333 across its offering.
Its top lot was Lot 28, a 19-micron ram with a SD of 2.3 and CV of 11.9pc, and eye muscle depth of 43 millimetres and fat depth of 5.5mm, which was purchased by Goddy Farms, Culcairn.
Old Cobram Poll Merinos sold 22 sire prospects to a top of $6250 for Lot 65, an 18.2-micron ram purchased by Pines Rural, Lockhart, and averaged $2806.
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Meanwhile, Hurlstone Park stud sold seven rams to a top of $4250, twice, and average of $3027.
Its equal top lots were Lot 75, a 17.3-micron ram measuring a 2.8 SD and 16.4pc CV, bought by S and L Jarvis, Boorowa, and Lot 79, a 16.4-micron ram with a 42mm EMD, purchased by Two Cockatoos Pastoral, Corowa.
Repeat volume buyer BL and AR Oliver, Temora, bought five rams at a $3650 average, while GP Mazzocchi, Morven near Culcairn, bought four for a $5312 average.
Avmac, Coreen, and A Zweck and Sons, Henty, bought six rams each.
Mr Bahr said all the studs presented their sheep very well, with the good rams meeting strong competition and selling really well.
"Rams sold to buyers locally within a 100 kilometre radius, plus buyers operated from Temora, Bombala and Boorowa in NSW, and Violet Town in Victoria," he said.
"It was a good clearance rate, it would've matched last year's, and there was good value for money in a lot of the rams at $1000-$12000 which we haven't seen in a couple of years.
"Buyers were probably chasing a balance of wool and carcase traits, and they were prepared to spend money on the rams that they wanted.
"The confidence around the (sheep and wool) job is fairly good, but there is in the back of peoples' minds FMD [foot and mouth disease], and the wet season."
The sale was conducted Nutrien and Elders with Peter Godbolt, Nutrien stud stock, Albury, taking bids.
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