Big cutting, free growing woolled rams drew the buyers to Lach River Merino and Poll Merino on-property ram sale at Darbys Falls, where prices topped at $32,000.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A total of 49 rams sold from 63 offered to average $3633, and a futher three of the passed-in lots also selling privately immediately post sale.
Ian and Camilla Shippen, Banyandah Pastoral, Moulamein, bought the sale topper to go into their ram breeding unit for their Moulamein property where they join about 34,000 Merino ewes.
Mr Shippen said he first spotted his purchase, Lach River 210030, at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show, Bendigo, Vic, along with Lach River 210015, which had also been awarded the South West Slopes Stud Merino Breeders Ram of the Year.
However, he went with 210030 because of how had devloped, adding that the ram had a good barrel, good length of staple, good wool cover and was "uncomplicated".
The Shippens breed their own rams for their commercial operation which produces 21-micron wool and said this ram should suit their type because was a big sheep with free growing wool.
"In this job you've got to cut wool," he said. "Shearers don't mind big cutting sheep, so long as they comb, and that all comes down to being free growing."
Their new ram will be joined to ewes in a group with two or three of their homebred rams, the lambs DNA identified and their performance benchmarked against their existing genetics before any sons are used across the flock more broadly.
Mr Shippen said they would also collect the ram as insurance and possibly consider selling some semen. Lach River also retained the right to a 50pc semen share.
He said their ewes cut in the range of 7.5-8kg of wool.
The $32,000 ram was sired by Gladiator and measured 19.3 micron, with a 3.1-micron standard deviation, 15.1 per cent coefficient of variation, 99.9pc comfort factor and a greasy fleece weight figure of 128pc.
The SWS Ram of the Year, also by Gladiator, was knocked down to to Smart Stock, Narrandera, for $15,000.
He measured 20.8 micron, 3.0-micron SD, 14.4pc CV, 99.8pc CF and GFW figure of 110pc.
Auctioneer Rick Power, Nutrien Stud Stock, Boorowa, said it was a credit the the Chalkers to offer this ram for sale, as the champions are often kept in the stud.
The top-priced Poll Merino was the opening lot of the sale, Lach River 210154, which sold for $8000 via AuctionsPlus to Doug Wilson, Myall, Lightning Ridge.
By the Oak Bank sire, he measured 20.7 micron, with a 3.6-micron SD, 15.1pc CV, 99.3pc CF and a GFW figure of 105pc.
The Laurels Pastoral Company, which has farms at Woodstock, Hovells Creek and Condobolin, was among the volume buyers.
Also read:
All up, the company bought 15 rams to a top of $5000 to average $3357, plus one lot privately immediately post auction, which manager Tim Davies said was part of the stocking process for their new farm at Hovells Creek, where the company will run about 4000 ewes.
Mr Davies he targeted rams at the lower end of the micron range at Lach River. The last time The Laurels bought at Lach River was in 2019, at which point it was also stocking another previous property purchase.
M.L., M.J and L.J. Cosgrove, Greenthorpe, also bought six lots to a top of $2500 to average $1833, and also bought one of the passed-in lots post sale.
Vendor, Richard Chalker, said at the sale's opening he had concentrated on structure, bone, wool and size and he was pleased with how this was demonstrated in the rams offered.
Nutrien was the selling agent.
