*Total clearance of 127 rams sold to $4000, av $1483
CLOVEN Hills' first summer ram sale saw one volume buyer take home 50 sheep and the auction top at $4000.
While bidding started slowly, the auction finished strong with the top-priced ram, Lot 119, purchased by Lachie Ranken at Boonerah, Hexham, for $4000.
The 2019-drop ram, sired by CH-170188, had a MCP+ of 178.1 and was a well-balanced animal, with a positive fat score of 0.2, a post-weaning eye muscle depth of 2.7 millimetres and a fecal egg count of -35.
He scored in the top 1 per cent for fertility with the number of lambs weaned at 21.1pc, a yearling number of lambs born of 33.4pc, a scrotal circumference of 7.25 millimetres and a post-weaning weight of 15.7 kilograms.
Stud principals Kate and Chris Dorahy also offered three high-ranking stud sires for sale, with Cloven Hills 170188 sold after the final hammer for $15,000.
Currently the number four sire in the country on the Sheep Genetics maternal database, the three-year-old ram has been a star performer for Cloven Hills, now boasting 1781 progeny over 15 flocks.
"He has an outstanding MCP+ index of 183.63, with growth, fertility and scrotal circumference all in the top 5pc," Ms Dorahy said.
"All of his progeny have good early growth and he is as close as we have come to finding it all in one ram.
"This was a carefully considered and somewhat reluctant sale, but the best decision for our stud."
South-west buyers also took home seven top-priced rams, including Ardmeen Farms' Celia Scott.
A long-time Cloven Hills client, Ms Scott purchased a total of nine rams to an average $2155.
Other volume buyers included Will Nicholls, Walcha, NSW, who purchased 50 rams to a top of $1300, average $930, Nick Cottrell, Mountain Creek, NSW, who bought 16 rams, top $2100, average $1437, and Geddes Pastoral, Holbrook, NSW, who bought eight rams, top $2400, average $1887.
Mr Dorahy said they were absolutely delighted with the result of their first summer ram sale.
