*63 of 72 sold to $5750, av $2531
The average price soared at the recent Oakbank Merino stud sale where 72 14 month-old rams were offered to a discerning crowd.
The sale was well-attended by local, repeat buyers, a number of new buyers, and an interstate bidder from Western Australia.
With 63 rams sold of the 72 offered, bidding was selective and buyers bought well for the rams they wanted.
The sale average was up on the previous year by approximately $400 per ram, to achieve a good average of $2531 for vendor Warren McRae.
Purchased for $5750, Lot 23 was the top-priced ram.
Its fleece measured 19.3 micron and 19.9 co-efficient of variation, and was successfully bid on by first-time buyer Mark Perryman, Mysia.
Attending the sale with his daughters, Eliza and Bridget, Mr Perrryman said he breeds his own rams, and at the auction was looking for one ram to go over a plainer-bodied ewe to increase wool cut.
He said he purchased this ram as it was “deep bodied with a well-nourished fleece”.
The second top-priced ram, weighing 101 kilograms, was purchased for $5500 by Graham Hinkley, Gnowangerup, Western Australia.
Also bidding successfully at the sale, first-time buyers of Oakbank rams, Leon, Graeme and Gary Clarke garnered nine new rams in the auction for their property near Nhill.
The Clarkes said they run predominantly Dohne ewes and planned to cross those ewes with the Merino rams purchased at the sale to increase the wool quality of their flock.
The rams “suited their needs” as they had “a good style and were heavy wool cutting rams”.
Liking the good selection of rams on offer, the Clarkes purchased another ram after the sale, and commented, “it was good value buying” on the day.
Stud principal Warren McRae said was he very happy with the overall result of the auction considering the season conditions.
“It was the best ever average the stud has ever achieved at a sale,” Mr McRae said.
He said the stud’s focus was on offering a big medium wool sheep that was not over complicated, and all were unhoused and paddock run.
“One of Oakbank’s clients, Doug and John Shay, recently got 2200c/kg for their wool,” he said.