Poll Boonoke & Wanganella
Full clearance of 200 rams to $46,000, av $4051
AUSTRALIAN Food and Agriculture achieved a full clearance of 200 Poll Boonoke and Wanganella rams at its annual on-property sale at Conargo, NSW.
The $4051 average was $552 up on 2016, while the top price of $46,000 was also an increase on last year.
The top price ram – Poll Boonoke 160540, a son of PB 130020 offered at lot 1 – had impressive wool figures of 20.4 micron, with 3.1 standard deviation and 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
It had also been impressive in the show ring, having won reserve champion March-shorn all-purpose Merino at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show (ASWS) in Bendigo.
But it was the ram’s growth and fleece weight figures that caught the eye of buyers Nigel and Brett Kerin, Kerin Poll Merinos, Yeoval, NSW.
Having recently conducted the largest grossing on-property ram sale in Australia, they were prepared to meet the market to purchase their new sire.
"It has all the right data for growth and fleece weight," Nigel said.
"Its outlook and presence combined with excellent carcase traits and growth is not often seen in a Merino ram...it has a terminal sire's body.
"You can't expect a Merino ram to have the growth rates of a terminal sire if it is not shaped like a terminal.
"We know from experience that the style of wool on this sheep, combined with its carcase produces progeny that still maintain fleece weights without compromising 250-day growth rates, and carcase traits.”
Nigel said the ram would be joined to 500 selected Kerin Poll Merino ewes through a combination of AI and ET.
The second Poll Boonoke ram offered was bought by sheep consultant Michael Elmes, Narrandera, NSW, at $24,000 for Ryan and Sarah Kluska, Kiandra Poll Merinos, Bordertown, in conjunction with Ridgway Advance, Bordertown.
Mr Elmes said the Kluskas had seen the 20M ram at the ASWS, and the National Merino Show & Sale in Dubbo, NSW, with its “good, gutsy” wool what they were looking for.
“It will lift the fleece weight of their stud,” he said.
Fellow South East bidders Geoff and Bernadette Davidson, Moorundie Poll Merinos, Keith, paid $16,000 for Poll Boonoke 161828.
In the Wanganella offering, Rodger Mathews, Borambil Merinos, Corowa, NSW, paid the top price of $19,000 for Wanganella 160887.
“It is structurally perfect with silky soft and sirey wool,” Mr Mathews said.
“A lot of our rams are sold into high rainfall country so we must have safe wool and conformation.
Return buyers John and James Graham, Boonongo, Morundah, NSW, paid $16,000 a Wanganella ram that James said had great lock structure and well-defined crimp.
The auction was conducted by Elders and Landmark.