Buyer demand was strong at the annual Roseville Park Merino and Poll Merino sale on-property at Dubbo on Thursday, September 14, with the stud selling all of the 235 rams offered.
The Poll Merinos sold to a top price of $12,000 and an average of $3173, while the Merinos had a top of $10,000 with a $2484 average.
The overall sale average was $2889.
The top-priced ram, 22-0079, was purchased by previous winners of the Ermenegildo Zegna Wool Awards, Andrew and Penny Hundy, Windradeen Pastoral, Pyramul.
By RP19-0081 and out of RP19-0814, the May-2022 drop had a fibre diameter of 14.8 micron with a standard deviation of 2.1 micron, a coefficient of variation of 14.6 per cent and a comfort factor of 99.8pc.
The ram also had a fat scan of three millimetres, eye muscle depth of 35mm and ranked in the top 5pc of the breed for post-weaning weight with a figure of +8.9.
He also ranked in the top 10pc for yearling weight and yearling fibre diameter with figures of +10.6 and -2.5, respectively, and the top 10pc for greasy fleece weight.
Andrew Hundy said he favoured the ram's low micron and high post-weaning weight.
"It ticked a lot of boxes across the board - figure wise the ram has a lot to offer," he said.
"It had good staple length for its micron, exceptional quality wool and brightness."
His family ran three properties with both an ultrafine flock and a dual-purpose operation.
"That ram, with his post-weaning weight and yearling weight figures could be used in both of those, to put size into one and bring the others back a bit finer in the micron," he said.
The second top-price ram, 22-2902, was purchased for $10,000 by Wool Solutions, Tasmania, for Rockford Pty Ltd, Bothwell, Tas.
The horned ram, by RP17-1185, was a June-2022 drop with a fibre diameter of 16.5 micron, 3.1 micron SD, 18.6pc CV, and CF of 99.8.
It also ranked in the top 1pc for greasy fleece weight at 204pc and the top 10pc for YFD at -2.4.
Volume buyers included Union Ag, Galong, who purchased 14 rams to a top of $5000 to average $3285.
FJ Kelly Trust, Bowning, also purchased 14 to a top of $6000 and $2857 average.
Hampshire Station, Merriwa, bought 12 to an equal top of $3000 and $2230 average.
Timbie Aggregation, Goonoo, bought 10 to an equal top of $3500 and $2850 average.
Rural Property Management, Burnbank, Vic, bought 10 to a top of $6000 and $3650 average.
Roseville Park principal Matthew Coddington said the result was in line with the market and it was great to have total clearance and see return clients from across the country continue to support the stud.
There had been some interest in the top ram leading up to the sale, he said.
"He's got a unique balance of figures - he's 14 micron and he's high for growth, he's high for fat and he's high for muscle," he said.
"I don't think there would be many rams in the country to match that data and that fibre diameter as well."
He noted the Poll Merinos were showing their dominance throughout the sale.
"It was clear the volume buyers were all chasing the same thing they've been chasing for the last five years - high growth, high fat, high muscle ASBVs but on rams that are under 18 micron," he said.
"It's a trait that works against the other, but we're a stud that's achieving that through our genetics and in big numbers."
Nutrien Ag Solutions and Elders conducted the sale with Lincoln McKinlay as auctioneer. AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.
Rebecca Nadge
Bec is livestock editor for The Land based in Orange. She has previously worked for Stock & Land in Victoria, the ABC in Kununurra, and newspapers in Kalgoorlie and New Zealand. Contact her at bec.nadge@theland.com.au
Bec is livestock editor for The Land based in Orange. She has previously worked for Stock & Land in Victoria, the ABC in Kununurra, and newspapers in Kalgoorlie and New Zealand. Contact her at bec.nadge@theland.com.au
