RETURN volume buyers made up the majority of attendees at the Towonga Merino and Poll Merino on-property ram sale at Peak Hill, yesterday.
Garry and Donna Kopp of Towonga presented a larger draft of rams to buyers during their second sale, and the results were on par with last year.
Overall 67 rams of the 90 catalogued were sold at auction for a 75 per cent clearance, $1802 average and $4500 top. A number were sold after.
Mr Kopp said the rams were one of the best wooled line of rams they have put up, with the nourishment they have been working on starting to show through particularly in the first line of sheep.
Victorian repeat buyer Eric Wythe of Broadwater purchased the $4500 top-priced ram, Towonga 90717.
The horned autumn 2019-drop ram was by the Wonga family syndicate. He was 23.1 in the micron with a 3.9 standard deviation (SD), a 16pc coefficient of variation (CV) and 97.1pc comfort factor (CF).
Mr Koop described the top ram a big, long, free grown strong wool.
He weighed 128 kilograms and measured 38.5 millimetres in the eye muscle depth and 6mm in fat depth.
Four rams sold to Mr Wythe for a $2775 average.
Buying a similar number of rams from Towonga each year to ensure they keep their ram battery young, Simon Ridley of JF and GP Ridley, Minerlea, Burcher, bought nine rams for a $2400 top and $1645 average.
Mr Ridley and his family operates a mixed farming enterprise consisting of cropping, sheep and Hereford cattle.
Producing enough grain to help them hold their numbers through the drought they are joining around 2500 ewes, with the older ewes joined to a White Suffolk.
Looking for bright, bulky good combing wools with good nourishment, the Ridleys target a 21.5 micron fleece.
"The last few years we have been trying to purchase more polled rams for ease of management, and Garry has been working on developing his poll genetics," he said.
The largest volume buyer was Currans Family Trust, Morella, Hermidale, who purchased 11 rams.
Victorian interest continued through the sale, with return volume buyers Lawler Farms Pty Ltd, Minyip, securing seven rams including the second top-priced ram, Towonga 90551 a polled son of the Towonga syndicate, for $3750. They averaged $2321 across their selections.
The sale was conducted by Elders Dubbo with Paul Jameson as the auctioneer.
Full report in next week's The Land newspaper.