*Total clearance of 73 rams sold to $7500, av $2139
SOUTH Australian woolgrowers again dominated the top prices at Scott Nicholson and Greg Hose's Sohnic Merino stud ram sale at Marnoo, paying top price and second top price.
Strong bidding saw all 73 rams offered sell under the hammer to $7500 and average $2139, about $100 above the 2020 average.
This year it was the turn of Josh and Sammie Hunt, Innisfallen Farms, Bordertown, SA, to top the bidding at $7500 via AuctionsPlus.
The ram was Lot 11 in the catalogue, a double poll, with figures of 17.6 micron, a co-efficient of variation (CV) of 16.8 per cent, a standard deviation (SD) of 3, and on the carcase side an eye muscle depth (EMD) of 38 millimetres and fat depth of 8mm.
The second top-priced ram went for $6000 and was purchased by Jim Hunt, JD & SF Hunt, Mundulla, SA.
The winning bid was taken on AuctionsPlus for the ram that was Lot 1A, which had a 19.3-micron fleece, a CV of 15.2 and SD of 2.9.
Its carcase numbers included an EMD of 40mm and fat depth of 8.5mm.
Mr Nicholson said it was a good result, with a total clearance and higher average.
He said people came to the stud for its consistency in supplying balanced rams for wool and carcase.
He was grateful for the local support, as well as rams being sold to the north-east and Balranald, NSW.
DS & SL Irwin, Emu, paid $4500 for Lot 5, a 17.9-micron sire with a CV of 17.3, SD of 3.1, EMD of 41mm and fat depth of 6.5mm.
E & J Wilkinson, Crowlands, bought three rams at an average of $3666.
The top-priced ram in the draft was Lot 23 that made $4750.
It was a 21.8-micron ram with a CV of 13.4, an SD of 2.9, EMD of 41mm and fat depth of 6mm.
Bretton Estate, Campbells Bridge, was a volume buyer, paying $4000 on three occasions to average $2708 across six rams.
The $4000 rams included Lot 1, a 19.5-micron sire with a CV of 13, an SD of 2.5, an EMD of 39.5mm and fat depth of 6.5mm.
Lot 3 also made $4000 and had a 20.9-micron fleece, a CV of 13.6, SD of 3, an EMD of 43mm and fat depth of 9mm.
The third ram purchased for $4000 was Lot 32, with measurements of a 20.7-micron fleece, a CV of 16.3, SD of 3.4, an EMD of 41mm and 6.5mm fat depth.
Regular buyer, Ben Nevis Farms, Crowlands, bought three rams to a top of $3000 and average purchase price of $2583.
Regular clients, Bibby Farms, Navarre, bought four rams to a top of $2750 (twice), at an average of $2437.
