*92 of 100 rams to $8250, av $2586
- Valleyella: 10 sold to $3250, av $2125
- Wurrook: 5 sold to $5000, av $2750
- Glendonald: 19 sold to $7500, av $2934
- Melrose: 3 sold to $3000, av $2750
- Elmbank: 7 sold to $3000, av $1857
- Kevlyn: 5 sold to $2500, av $1800
- Gleneden: 19 sold to $7500, av $3000
- Mount Yulong: 10 sold to $4500, av $2800
- Thornlea: 12 sold to $8250, av $2791
BUYERS from Western Australia, NSW and local areas showed confidence in the Merino industry, sending ram prices higher at Monday's Glenelg Regional Merino Field Day.
The multi-vendor sale saw nine studs sell 92 of 100 rams to average $2586.
Top price of $8250 was paid by noted NSW-based stud, Nerstane, Woolbrook, in the New England region.
The ram was sold by Wayne and Jill McClure, Thornlea stud, Harrow.
Mr McClure said the ram was an artificial insemination ram sired by 'Trump', a Charinga ram that Thornlea sold to Banavie for $4000.
"We kept some semen from Trump," he said.
Mr McClure said the Nerstane principals had seen the ram at Sheepvention the week earlier.
He said it was good to get a ram of this quality out into the field.
"You've got to let a good one go," he said.
The 15-month-old, 18.4-micron ram had figures of 2.7 standard deviation (SD), 14.7 co-efficient of variation (CV) and 100 per cent comfort factor (CF).
Equal second top price was $7500, with WA breeder Jarrod King, Warralea Poll Merino stud, Gairdner, near Albany, buying Lot 29, sold by Robert Harding's Glendonald stud, Nhill.
The 20-micron ram was by Glendonald Green 91, and Mr Harding said the buyers had been losing bidder on a half brother at Bendigo that sold for $26,000.
The 15-month-old ram had measurements of 2.5 SD, 12.5 CV and 99.8pc CF.
Also selling for $7500 was Lot 60 sold by Campbell and Greg Penny, Gleneden, Douglas.
The 17.6-micron ram was purchased by repeat buyer Craig Pretlove, Minimay.
It had figures of 2.5 SD, 14.2 CV and 99.9pc CF.
Glendonald also sold a ram for $5500 that was bought by regular buyers JS & EM Staude, Balmoral.
This ram was an 18.7-micron ram, 15 months, with 3.2 SD, 17.1 CV and 99.7pc CF.
The same buyer paid $3500 for another Glendonald ram.
Wurrook stud, Rokewood, sold rams to $5000.
The top 23-month-old ram was 17 micron, 3.1 SD, 18.2 CV and 99.7pc CF, and was bought by Barwonleigh Pty Ltd.
The Mount Yulong Poll stud of the Rogers family, Telangatuk East, sold a ram to $4500 to Gringegalgona.