The Mountain Dam
*56 of 60 rams sold to $3800, av $1800
THE Mountain Dam Merino stud held its annual on property sale at Telangatuk East on Monday, with very satisfying results.
With 60 Poll Merino and Merino rams offered, to only pass in four, to a top price of $3800, and a strong average of $1800.
There was plenty of spirited bidding during the helmsman auction, which helped to increase this sale clearance by up to 15 per cent on last year with a significant lift in the average of close to $500.
The top-priced ram was found in Lot 4, 16/TWC036.
The 15-16 month-old, single born ram has yearling fleece measurements of 15.7 micron, 18.5 co-efficient of variation, and a 51 staple length.
He also had very good figures, with yearling ASBVs of a weaning weight of 29kg, yearling weight of 56kg, an eye muscle depth of 26mm and a fat depth of 3.5mm.
He was snapped up by long-term clients Mick and Rosie Leeming, Pigeon Ponds, for $3800.
“We are trying to move away from mulesing our sheep, therefore this ram will be a great addition for our operation as he has a -4 for breech wrinkle and +3 for breech cover,” Mrs Leeming said.
“We have inspected the sire at the Balmoral Sire Evaluation trial days, so we have seen how he performs and what his progeny looks like.”
The Leemings purchased a total of six rams on the day to average $2750.
The second top-priced ram was purchased by long-term clients Rex and Kay Hocking, and their daughter Janelle and her husband Nick Edwards, ‘The Washpool’, Avenue Range, South Australia.
Lot 9 was purchased for $3700, with the Hocking family also purchasing the equal third top-priced ram at $3500.
They went home with four rams to average $3025.
Lot 9, 16/WDB040, is a single born ram with yearling ASBVs of 33kg weaning weight of, 58kg yearling weight, a eye muscle depth of 25mm and a fat depth of 4mm.
They have been buying Mountain Dam rams for about 13 years to use in their commercial Merino flock of about 2000 breeding ewes.
The family also runs roughly a further 1000 Merinos mated to Border Leicester rams, and about 2000 BL-Merino ewes joined to terminal sires.
While in their 19th year buying at The Mountain Dam, Murray and Lorraine Davis and son Andrew, ‘Bellevue’, Dergholm, were the biggest volume buyer, purchasing nine rams during the auction to a top of $2600, with their draft averaging $1666.
Andrew Davis said the Mountain Dam sheep performed well in their high-rainfall environment.
The family joins about 4000 Merino ewes, and the flock’s fibre diameter averages 18.2 micron for adult sheep and 16 micron for weaners.
Stud principal Tom Silcock said it was very rewarding to have additional evaluations and testing indicated by very strong support from our client base.
“Some of our longest buying clients continue to be our strongest paying clients as the are recognising the results they are getting from these rams,” he said.
Overall, 56 of 60 rams sold in the sale, run for the second time by the family and with the help of the Telangatuk East Tennis Club members, with further rams selling after during the mini auction.