Flock rams were the order of the day at the 11th annual Wattle Farm Border Leicester Stud production sale.
Held on farm just outside of Temora, the sale had a full clearance of 65 flock rams go out with a top of $4,400 and a healthy average of $2557.
Conducted by Hartin Shute Bell's Jason Hartin, and Nutrien Wagga Wagga's Hamish McGeoch, the sale also sold two of seven stud rams and a strong line of stud ewes were available.
Joe Mooney took out the top priced lot, tag 46, one of eight lots he purchased at the sale.
Mr Mooney runs 2500 ewes (800 Merinos and 1700 first-cross) as part of Mooney Bimbi Partnership with his wife Janet, and sons Darren and Craig, on their 1200-plus hectare property Meadow Bank between West Wyalong and Young.
Lot 46 was measured with a +0.37kg birthweight, +5.97kg post weaning weight, and a yearling weight of +7.36kg.
He measured -1.46mm post weaning fat depth, -0.73mm post weaning eye muscle depth, 99.51 on the Border Leicester Cross index and with 34.40 micron wool.
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Mr Mooney said he has bought at the Wattle Farm sale nine out of the last 10 years and will continue to go back.
"They are just top sheep," he said.
"These sheep have strong length, produce good wool and produce healthy lambs.
"They have easy birthing ability and work well over our first-cross ewes.
"We get 142 per cent lambing out of first-cross ewes and around 118pc out of our Merinos.
"Those numbers are just what we are looking for as part of our sucker lamb enterprise."
Wattle Farm Border Leicester Stud principal Jeff Sutton was happy with how the sale went.
"I'm very happy to see so many repeat buyers, and some new ones, here today," he said.
"I was especially pleased to get full clearance of the flock rams.
"I'm very happy to continue to supply clients who are looking for quality, longevity and true to type Border Leicesters.
"We provide good information with Lambplan figures, wool micron and when the sheep have been shorn.
"I think our clients like that."
Nev Mangelsdorf was the volume buyer with 10 lots purchased for Byrne Farming Company, Allawah, Wallenbeen.
"The season had a bit to do with why we bought the number lots we did," he said.
"We have Merino ewes we would normally sell but with so much pasture on the ground, we decided to keep them and needed rams to put over them.
"We thought we would start with 10 from here."
Co-auctioneer Jason Hartin said the sale was a success.
"The flock rams showed up extremely well and there was also a good line of stud ewes available," he said.
"The rams sold well on the day and at a value which buyers could handle."
