*23 of 48 rams sold to $3100, av. $1278
A SMALL but dedicated group of buyers bid to a top of $3100 at the annual Eilan Donan on-property sale near Elphinstone this week.
Forty-eight rams were offered at the helmsman sale, a method being used for the first time by the stud, which was interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
Three buyers from Victoria's "golden triangle" gave strong support to the sale, along with an order from Tasmania and buyers from near Beaufort, St Arnaud and local areas.
The top-priced ram at the sale was purchased by Dale and Ray McKoy, McCoy Farming, Moliagul, who paid $3100 for Lot 6.
The ram was one of five purchased by the long-time Eilan Donan clients.
The ram was sired by Nerstane 18 (by N4636) and had figures of 19.8 micron, 3.3 standard deviation, co-efficient of variation of 16.7 and comfort factor of 99.4 per cent.
The McCoys had been buying at Eilan Donan for more than 20 years.
"They do the job and they're suited to our environment," Dale McKoy said.
Eilan Donan stud principal Jock MacRae said a good season had seen the rams test a micron higher than normal.
"At shearing the sale team averaged 18.8 micron but the catalogue average was 19.7," he said.
"The rams are well grown with an average body weight of 80 kilograms and they will breed 18 to 19 micron sheep."
He said since the sale of their large commercial flock operation, he was keen to hear feedback on the rams from buyers.
He said that once he could follow how the genetics were going through the commercial flock, but now there was only the a smaller stud flock.
"We want to know from clients how the rams are performing," he said.
Mr MacRae said producers wanted early maturing sheep with wools suitable to their area.
He said he was confident this year's buyers had selected the type of sheep for their area and operations.
The helmsman system was "certainly a lot more buyer friendly", he said.
Buyer of the second top-priced lot at $2700 was local sheep producers, S Ford and Sons, Castlemaine.
The ram was Lot 12, which also attracted the most bidding activity.
The ram was by Eilan Donan 16-367, which went back to Nerstane 318, and had a micron of 19.6, SD of 2.7, CV of 13.8 and a CF of 100pc.
Among the volume buyers was Paul Morcombe, Mena Park near Beaufort, trading as PA & JA Morcombe.
Mr Morcombe said it was his third year buying Eilan Donan genetics.
The lead ram was a heavy-cutting sheep with well-nourished wool.
"We get paid in kilograms that go out the gate," he said.
Two rams included in the Morcombe's draft sold for $2200 each.
Lot 5 was a 19.7 micron ram by a Charinga sire, that had an SD of 2.7, CV of 13.6 and CF of 99.8pc.
The second ram to make $2200 was by the same Charinga sire and had figures of 19.3 micron, an SD of 3.1, CV of 16.1 and CF of 99.9pc.
Andrew Calvert, Wool Solutions, Tasmania, bought three rams for new Eilan Donan client, Spring Cottage, Stonehenge, Tasmania.
The buyer paid $1400 for two rams and a third for $1000.
The Lot 14 ram that sold for $1400 was a 20.4-micron sire with an SD of 3.4, CV of 16.7 and CF of 99.1pc.
The second ram was Lot 38, with a 19.2-micron fleece, 3.1 SD, a CV of 16.1 and CF of 99.7pc.
Another volume buyer was Peter Vanrenen, Avoca Forrest, who bought five rams, while rounding out the same region was Lindsay and Tony Soulsby, Rheola, with two rams.
