*118 of 120 rams sold to $5250, av $2618
RETURN buyers with a penchant for Poll Merinos boosted the 2018 Nareeb Nareeb ram sale to an overall average of $2618.
The Glenthompson-based stud of the Beggs family offered 120 rams in total with all 80 Poll rams selling to an average of $2900 and 38 of 40 horned rams selling at an average of $2000.
Stud principal Richard Beggs said the average was well-up on 2017, while the stud also sold an increase number of rams.
It was a celebrated lift on last year’s top price where the 64 Poll Merino rams offered sold to $5000, and av $2046.
This year’s offering peaked at $5250 for lot 4, bought by Terry Hayse, Caramut, a regular buyer of the stud’s rams.
The sale topper had figures of 19.7 micron, standard deviation of 4.3, body weight of 87.5 kilograms, body weight index of 110 percent and greasy fleece weight index of 111pc.
Mr Beggs said the buyer of the top priced ram wanted the ram “as soon as he walked in the shed and saw it”.
He said the ram’s sire, a ram by prolific sire 150070, had a large number of progeny throughout the 2018 sale catalogue.
“Sales from that sire alone would have been more than $30,000 on the day,” he said.
“The sire leaves progeny with frame and wool cutting ability and quality with a long staple.”
Sales from that sire alone would have been more than $30,000 on the day. The sire leaves progeny with frame and wool cutting ability and quality with a long staple.
- Richard Beggs, Nareeb Nareeb
Mr Beggs said the sale continued the trend of buyers towards Poll sheep.
The second top of the day was another Poll ram that made $5000 going to Panshanter Estate, Longford, Tasmania.
Weighed on September 24, the ram came in at 89 kilograms with a 20.1 micron fleece, and standard deviation of 3.2.
Volume buyers on the day included Western District Pastoral, Willaura, with 19 rams to a top of $2500 following up from the 20 rams it purchased at the 2017 sale.
Mr Beggs said they had been strong buyers of Nareeb Nareeb rams for the past few years.
WISS, Melbourne, through Damien Meagher, put together a draft of 21 rams on the day for a number of clients.
Mr Beggs said four clients from Tasmania were bidders while rams also went to the Mallee, Wimmera and across the Western District. He said three new clients operated at the auction.
“Good genetics are cumulative and permanent – buy the best you can afford,” he said.
“The wool market is still higher than it was last year and the industry supplies such a wonderful product.”
Mr Beggs said he was “very happy” with the result of the sale.
“We are thankful for all the support of our ram clients. The results show people support the breeding and quality of our sheep,” he said.