*44 of 50 rams sold to $3500 (twice), av $1676
Western Victorian wool producers have again snapped up NSW Poll Merino and Merino rams, the Roseville Park stud, Dubbo, brought to its annual Hamilton sale.
Three buyers purchased seven rams apiece, with two taking home four and three, respectively.
Stud principal Matthew Coddington said the sale average slightly surpassed last year, which was its best ever result.
Roseville Park also topped last year’s highest price, of $3250. This year the 17 Polled Merinos averaged $2147, while the 26 Merinos made an average of $1394.
Mr Coddington said there continued to be stronger demand for the Polled Merinos, over Merinos.
He said the top priced rams ticked the boxes for growth, fleece weight, fat, muscle depth and indexes.
“I think people go for that genetic fat, genetic muscle, to get better lamb survival and better fertility, but without sacrificing fleece weight or growth rates, with it,” Mr Coddington said.
Lot five, a May 2017-drop ram, had an 18.5 micron fleece, a standard deviation of 2.6per cent, 15.2pc co-efficient of variation and a comfort factor of 99.3pc. It was one of a twin.
The ram was bought by JB Ware and sons. The Polled ram’s Australian Sheep Breeding Values, recorded in early August, were yearling clean fleece weight of +20, a yearling fibre diametre of -1.1microns and a yearling weight of +7.1. It also recorded ASBV figures of a yearling fat of +0.5mm and a yearling eye muscle depth of +1.1mm.
Lot number 31, a May 2017-drop Polled ram, had a 18.2 micron fleece, with a standard deviation of 2.8pc, a co-efficient of variation of 15.3pc and comfort factor of 99.
The ram had ASBV’s for yearling clean fleece weight of +21, a yearling fibre diameter of -0.9microns, yearling weight of +4.5, Yearling fat of +0.7mm and Yearling Eye Muscle Depth of +0.9mm.
It was purchased by John Chatham, Rokewood, who has been shearing grown ewes every six months, since using Roseville Park rams.
Mr Coddington said he had been heading towards producing more Poll Merinos and was conscious of drier conditions, around the Dubbo area.
“We want our sheep to be better ‘doers’ and produce more with less,” Mr Coddington said.
Roseville Park sold 200 rams a year, or 60 per cent of all the animals it bred, into the western districts of Victoria. Mr Coddington said he was breeding high stocking rate type rams, for Victoria.
“They want more compact and robust rams, with a lot of muscle and spring of rib, with good, fine micron wool that can handle a lot of rain and fill the bales,” he said.
Elder’s auctioneer Ross Milne said most of the rams went to properties, within a 150kilometre radius of Hamilton.
“They want production and wool quality, they are the main things that are going to tick the boxes,” he said.
“Their rams are adaptable, wherever Roseville Park sends them.
“They have sent sheep down here for many, many years, and they have adapted to this environment very well.”
Among the volume buyers were Tony Frost, Chepstowe; Satterness, Bannockburn and Stact Ag, Orange, NSW, which took a combined total of nearly half the entire offering.
Coddington Uardry also sold seven of 18 rams, to a top of $2000, av $1250.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
