*70 of 72 sold to $5100 (twice) av $2501
Long-term, repeat buyers were also among the volume purchasers at Tamaleuca Poll Merino stud's annual spring sale, Ouyen.
Stud principal Kevin Crook said rams went as far as Gilgandra, NSW and Hamilton, with many going within 150 kilometres of the stud.
He said buyers were looking for big, early-maturing, dual purpose rams.
"They will want rams that cut a good fleece," Mr Crook said.
"We have been chasing dual-purpose sheep for about 10 years and we've been testing eye muscle for a long, long time.
"We have even tested ewes, two years ago, we went through all our ewes, to identify eye muscle as well."
The sale was interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
The first of the two rams to sell for $5100 was Tamaleuca 200032, sired by Poll B.
He had a 19 micron fleece, a standard deviation of 2.8, co-efficient of variation of 14.7 and comfort factor of 99.9 per cent.
The ram had an eye-muscle of 45 millimetres, a fat measurement of 7.5mm and weight of 107kg.
He was purchased by by DC Goudie and Co of Caldwell, NSW.
The second ram to sell for $5100 was tag number 200898.
He had a 17.7 micron fleece, an SD of 2.9, a CV of 16.4 and CF of 99.7.
He was also sired by Poll B and was bought by Lindsay and Robyn Plant, Manangatang.
The ram had an eye muscle measurement of 43mm and fat of 8.5mm and weighed 100 kilograms, when the scans were taken on August 10.
"One of our good clients told me, after the sale, he's worked out meat was 75 per cent of his income and wool was 25 pc," Mr Crook said.
The sale attracted some "really good, strong traditional buyers".
Ettershank Pastoral, Moulamein, bought seven rams, to $4100, while AH Bear and sons, Pyramid Hill, picked up nine, to a top of $4300.
"Ettershank have been with us for more than 20 years and Bear has been coming for 15 years," he said.
"They are long term clients and have seen us through the traditional horned stud, to a dual-purpose poll stud."
Mr Plant said he had been using the Tamaleuca bloodlines for about 23 years.
"They are good sheep," Mr Plant said.
"They are highly fertile, bred in the area, and Kevin only leaves the rams in the flock for a short time.
"If the ewes don't get in lamb, the rams are out of the stud."
He said the property had a 112 pc weaning rate, from its maidens, this year.
"They have got really good wool, he has 'plained' them up, so we get really good money for our surplus sheep."
"We got our favourite one, lot four, for $4400, so that was a beauty," he said.
Elders Ouyen auctioneer Kieran O'Shannessy said interfacing the sale with AuctionsPlus paid dividends for buyers from outside Victoria.
"A lot of rams went into the NSW Riverina," Mr O'Shannessy said.
"It was definitely worth putting it on AuctionsPlus, we had 12 bidders register, because you just have to give everybody the opportunity, in these times.
"We had to do it, so bidders from certain areas could get on to the auction."
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.
