*34 of 44 rams sold to $10,000, av $4689
Rams sold to a top of $10,750 at the inaugural online Bendigo Merino and Poll Merino ram sale on Friday.
The sale was held online only to replace the traditional live auction which was part the Australian Sheep and Wool Show which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions.
The sale attracted 44 rams from 19 studs in Victoria, Western Australia, NSW and Tasmania and was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions and Elders via AuctionsPlus.
Nutrien Merino specialist, Stephen Chalmers, said the sale was deemed a success with vendors supporting the sale and pleased with the results.
He said the number of rams offered was down on the traditional auction, but the clearance rate of 77 per cent was not far from normal.
There was a lot of positive comments after the sale and the result was above expectations, he said.
The top priced ram was a poll ram from Rob Harding, Glen Donald stud, Nhill. The buyer was repeat purchaser from Glen Donald, Will and Narda Roberts, Victoria Downs, Morven, Queensland.
Mr Harding said the top ram this year, G121, was a May 2018 drop ram weighing 144 kilograms and sired by GLD 91.
G121 was an August 2019-shorn ram with a 19.5 micron fleece, 3.2 standard deviation (SD) , 16.4 co-efficient of variation (CV) and 99.6 per cent comfort factor (CF). He said the ram's sire also sired the top priced ram at the 2019 ASWS auction.
Heather and John Dalla's Orrie Cowie stud, Warooka, SA, sold a poll ram for $10,000. The ET son of ES Trump was out of one of the stud's top performing donor ewes, 141294.
The ewe had bred five sons previously with all of them either being sold to studs or retained as sires at Orrie Cowie.
Buyer was regular clients, Robert and Braden Lange, Ockley Park, Narrogin, WA.
The April 19-drop ram had a 19.5 micron fleece, 3.7 SD, 19 CV and CF of 99.4. The ram weighed 109kg on June 10.
The Terrick West stud of Ross, Robyn and Claire McGauchie, Prairie, sold lot 37 for $9000.
The poll ram was bought by Josh and Jenny Buerckner, Rothsay Park Poll Merino stud, Tungamah. The ram was 14 months old and had measurements of 18.3 microns, 2.9 SD, 15.8 CV and 99.7 CF.
Mr Buerckner said the online purchasing was challenging but he had received reports about the ram's quality and had seen videos of the ram.
He said he had been following the Terrick West stud for some time and the genetics suited his aims for his stud.
Two rams sold for $7750. The first was lot 26 offered by Langdene, Dunedoo, NSW. The ram was an ET ram, May 2018-drop, that had figures of 18 micron fleece, 3.1 SD, 17.2 CV and 99.6 CF.
The Nerstane stud of Hamish and Jock McLaren, Woolbrook, NSW, sold lot 29 for $7750. The 22-month-old ram was by CH975 and a full brother to Nerstane's proven AI sire N404. It had figures of 17.1 micron, 2.7 SD, 15.8 CV and 99.9 CF.
Other stud top prices:
Alfoxton: $7250 to Brazendale Brothers, Bothwell, Tas.
Billa Burra Burra: $3450 to P Butt, Narooma, Young, NSW.
Bogo: $5250 to P Butt.
Grassy Creek: $3250 to CC & SM Braid, Frogmore, Tas.
Koole Vale: $2750 to AJ Mawson and MJ Walker, Locksley, SA.
Tamaleuka: $4250 to CF & JM Powell.
Trefusis: sold two rams at $3000.
West Plains : $7000 to AE, FA, JP & PJ Brady, Stavely.
