* 445 of 447 Composite rams sold to $8000, av $2341
* 56 of 56 Cashmore Nudies sold to $4600, ave $2166
Cashmore Oaklea's extensive cataloguing of genetic and phenotypic information has paid dividends, with the stud clearing nearly all of more than 500 rams it offered at its Victorian sale.
Cashmore's top-priced ram sold for to a Tasmanian buyer for $8000.
Stud co-principal John Keiller said rams sold into Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and South Australia.
"There are 23 estimated breeding values, but then there is a breed component, and another eight figures of phenotypical information," Mr Keiller said.
"Buyers are looking at 40 to 50 columns of information we provide, which has been requested, over time.
"We have a long-established breeding program and direction, which is suited to the market.
"People are after various characteristics the animals have - growth rates, reproduction, outstanding internal parasites and nice carcases."
The top priced ram, lot 24, was sold to a Tasmanian producer.
The ram had a birth-weight of 0.3kilograms, a weaning weight of 9.98kg, a post weaning weight of 16.3kg and an adult weight of 18.3kg.
He had a post-weaning fat of 0.4millimetres, a post-weaning eye muscle depth of 2.1mm and a post-weaning faecal egg count of -85 per cent.
His dollar maternal index was $179.26.
Mr Keiller said some producers were running self-replacing systems, rather than buying sheep they were breeding their own.
"Then there are quite a number of people who are moving across from buy-in systems, which are mostly Border Leicester-Merino first cross ewes, and now they are going to grade themselves across to Composite systems.
"They get a chance to target various characteristics."
"People can approach it in the way that gets them the best result, some people use index selection, some use trait selection.
"Most people would have three or four characteristics, on their property, that they are trying to improve, from feedback, from the amount of lambs they have marked, or growth rate, or from abattoirs, on carcases."
Making a better dollar on a per hectare basis was the name of the game
Mr Keiller said rams had sold into Victoria, NSW, Tasmania and South Australia.
"In the last five years, we are just starting to get those animals that have a good production levels, but also getting a little bit easier care, that's quite a noticeable thing."
The Tasmanian producer had a self-replacing system, in a high rainfall zone, and was also using centre pivots.
"The internal parasites are quite important, in that environment down there," he said.
Sam Nevin, Nutrien Ag said there was a lot of local competition, on the rams.
"Tasmania buy a power of rams, and a lot went to the south-east of South Australia, Gippsland, northern Victoria and into NSW and Kangaroo Island (SA)," Mr Savin said.
"It was a fair spread.
"Farmers have had a good two or three years with lambs, and especially last year, the Composites seem to be setting the pace."
He said the Composites were a maternal ram, sought by producers running self-replacing ewe flocks.
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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.
