Despite being forced to relocate it's sale due to weather causing on-property access issues, Lachlan Merinos enjoyed a very strong 17th annual ram sale, setting a new record for top priced lot and achieving a 98 per cent clearance.
Top price at the sale was for the first one up for grabs with Lot 1A, 210820, selling to $80,000, purchased by Mainelup Poll Merinos, Gnowangerup, Western Australia.
The $80,000 price tag was even more significant as 210820 is a spring drop ram and still has his lamb teeth.
Sired by PB160612, the PP ram was recorded measuring 18.5-micron wool with a 2.5 standard deviation, 13.5 per cent coefficient of variation and a comfort factor of 99.9 per cent.
He had a post weaning weight measurement of 3.6, a yearling weight measurement of 5.5, a yearling clean fleece weight of 21.5, fibre diameter -0.5, dual purpose plus rating of 173 and a Merino production plus rating of 155.
Elliott Richardson, principal at Mainelup Poll Merinos, said seeing the ram first hand convinced him to bid.
"People who I talk to about sheep said they saw good things from Lachlan Merinos at Bendigo," he said.
"So I flew over and had a look for myself.
"The top priced lot particularly impressed me.
"He is such a well balanced ram with great wool quality and quantity, and strong physical aspects as well."
Mr Richardson said it was more than just wool and structure which appealed to him.
"He is very well bred and his genetics are breeding well," he said.
"His mum bred the best ram at last year's sale and in my opinion, the best ram at this year's sale.
"We are going to use him for artificial insemination of 200 ewes, on three or four donor ewes for embryotic transfer and put him in the field too."
When asked if he would be back buying at the Lachlan Merino sale next year, Mr Richardson said they were always on the lookout for good sheep.
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The sale was conducted by Nutrien Livestock's John Settree and Elders' Martin Simmons, selling 176 of the 180 rams offered for a clearance of 98pc and at an average of $4492 - slightly down on last year's $4818.
Lachlan Merinos principal Glen Rubie was pleased with how it went.
"I'm very happy with today's result," he said.
"It was great to see some new buyers as well as the repeat buyers.
"We had buyers from across the state as well as in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia.
"I think buyers see we are producing sheep that are productive and built well.
"Even though we have got numbers on our sheep, we put an emphasis on body shape which is important."
Mr Rubie said the top priced sale has a lot going for it.
"I like our sheep to do our talking," he said.
"He has a heavy-cutting white wool, a good staple and a solid carcase as well.
"His eye muscle depth is well into the 40s.
"A lot of rams have one or the other but that ram has both."
The second top priced lot, 210827, is a full embryo flush brother to the top priced lot and sold for $12,000 to Gerald, Claudette and Lachlan Woodhouse of Myack Poll Merino Stud, Tarcutta.
The ram measured 18.4-micron wool with a 2.5 standard deviation, 13.6 per cent coefficient of variation and a comfort factor of 99.8 per cent.
He measured 4.9 PWT, 6.7 YWT, 24.6 YCFW, -0.5 YFD, 176 DP+ and 161 MP+.
Mr Woodhouse said there was lots to like about the ram.
"He is nice and wide with good eye muscle depth," he said.
"He has good, white wool and is a very correct ram.
"It is our ninth year buying rams from Lachlan Merinos and what they have done to improve our flock is outstanding.
"They have improved our sheep's wool and frame size."
Piney Range Pastoral, and KD and TA Welsh, Eugowra, both purchased lots for $9000, Lot 5, 210866, and Lot 179, 210182, respectively.
There were a number of volume buyers at the sale but the largest was Mark and Carol Jones, Booroola, Condobolin.
The Jones' purchased 20 lots - 10 poll and 10 horned.
"We keep coming back to buy more because of what the Lachlan sheep have done for our flock," Mr Jones said.
"They now have a bigger body structure as well as a heavier wool cut.
"Our cuts are consistently nine kilograms now, growing from 6.5 kilograms.
"They are good sheep to shear with no complaints from shearers.
"We will keep coming back."
Other volume buyers included A and D Parsons (14), St George, QLD; Flick Estates (14), Cumnock; AR, GF, MA and CJ Taylor (10), Caragabal; Westbury Pastoral (9), Temora; AC, MF, TM and LC Knight (9), Grenfell; and Abercrombie Pastoral (9), Abercrombie.
