* 39 of 50 rams sold to $5250, av $1891
Repeat buyers have buoyed this year's annual Coryule Merino Stud sale, Willowbank, with many local commercial buyers picking up rams.
Coryule manager Craig Trickey said buyers sought out rams with good wools and structure.
Most buyers came from an area of around 120 kilometres of Coryule.
"That's a positive, obviously the people are getting results from our rams, and are coming back," Mr Trickey said
"What they buy today will be the rams they are classing up and joining, in two years time," Mr Trickey said.
The sale was run as both an on-property open cry auction, interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
Read more:
"We got quite a number of people registering as potential buyers, on AuctionsPlus, which was positive, but we only had one ram sell online."
The July-2019 top-priced ram, a Horn Poll: HH which went for $5250, was sired by Nerstane 120231.
That ram has been described as "a nourished, productive 66's wool, which also has excellent staple length and thickness."
N120231 was also described as having "exceptional bone and spring of rib."
The top-selling ram, lot 12, had figures of a rib of seven millimetres, an eye muscle depth (EMD) of 35mm, an 18.3-micron fleece, 3.0 per cent standard deviation, a 16.2pc co-efficient of variation and 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
The July-2109 drop ram had a yearling fleece weight of -1.6, a yearling clean fleece weight of 19.2 kilograms and a Merino Production Plus Index (MP+) measurement of 143.9.
Buyer, Sean McDougall, Roseville Ridge, Maroona, said the ram stood out because of his "soft, crimpy wool."
"He will get joined up, next year, to breed a few rams, for our operation,' Mr McDougall said..
"I try to acquire a good ram, every year, and breed a few more."
He said he was attracted to Coryule due to its long staple and their rams ability to produce fine, to medium-fine wool.
"Their skin type should allow us to produce more of that free-growing wool," he said.
"We are having an unbelievable season, we had a good winter and spring growth, and the pastures are starting to reproduce at the moment.
"I don't think we can complain at the moment, wool prices and most commodities are very good."
Mr Trickey said one ram was sold for stud duties.
It was one of two, lots three and four, knocked down for $5000.
The July-2019 drop ram, lot three, was sired by PB 161828 and sold to Grassy Creek Merinos, Reids Flat, NSW.
The ram had figures of a rib measurement of 4.5mm, an eye muscle depth of 37mm, a micron of 18.2, SD of 2.4, CV of 13.3 and CF of 99.75.
He had a yearling weight of 11.8kg, a yearling fibre diameter of -0.8, a yearling clean fleece weight of 35.6kg and a MP+ index of 208.
"He had exceptional breeding values, he is from the top one per cent on three indexes, and in the top five per cent yearling weight and yearling clean fleece weight," Mr Trickey said.
Have you signed up to Stock & Land's daily newsletter? Register below to make sure you are up to date with everything that's important to Victorian agriculture.
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.
