*Total clearance of 18 stud rams sold to $41,000, av $9030
*Total clearance of 26 flock rams sold to $3500, av $2538
AN AUSTRALIAN record for a Poll Dorset ram was set at $41,000 at Andrew and Caroline McLauchlan's Tasmanian-based Valma stud.
Mr McLauchlan said the price was a real surprise - "totally unexpected and quite humbling".
"We had a lot of interest but we didn't know how that would translate to the actual sale," he said.
The sale was conducted under the helmsman system and interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
He said because of COVID-19 restrictions, a lot of work was done to ensure videos of rams showed all of their structural aspects.
"He is a stand-out ram, he's very balanced and structurally correct with very good figures across the board," he said.
"He had great figures for birthweight to growth, muscle and eating qualities which are coming to the fore in what people are looking for in their rams.
"Rams that had good figures in those areas were definitely more in demand."
The top ram, Valma 200040, was one of a number sired by Felix 16-494, with an Australian Sheep Breeding Value shear force on day five (SHF5) of +0.70 and was in the top 5 per cent of the breed on the terminal carcase production index at 164.7.
The ram also had a weaning weight (WWT) of 11.3 and post-weaning weight (PWWT) of 19.1.
The buyer was the Patterson family, Kinellar White Suffolks and Poll Dorsets, Canowindra, NSW.
Lot 1 of the sale was sold for $16,000 to the Belvedere stud, Tallangatta Valley, for Valma 20005, also by Felix 16-494.
This lot had figures of 10.7 WWT, 17.4 PWWT and TCP index of 156.2.
Lot 5 of the stud rams was bought for $14,500 by S & E Davidson, Morton stud, Lucindale, SA.
The ram was by Linton 16-625 and had figures of 160.8 TCP, 0.0 SHF5, PWT of 17.4 and 3.8 post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD).
Ulandi Park, Marrabel, SA, bought Lot 4 for $12,000.
The ram was by Felix 16-494, and had a WWT of 9.9, PWWT of 16.4, a SHFS of +1.53 and a PEMD of 3.5mm.
Buyers of two rams was the Hovel and Aberdeen stud, Burrumbuttock, NSW, including Lot 6 for $12,000.
The ram had a top 5pc of breed TCP of 165 and WWT of 10.9, while its numbers for PEMD at 3.15 and SHF5 of -0.3 were ranked in the top 10pc.
The second ram was Lot 18 which they bought for $9000.
Chris Squires, Shirlee Downs, WA, bought two rams, paying $11,500 for Lot 7 and $3450 for Lot 40.
Lot 7 was another ram by Felix 16-494 and had figures of 162.6 TCP, WWT of 12.1 and PWWT of 18.5.
Deloraine Downs, Konongwootong, bought Lot 9 for $10,500.
The ram was by Valma 19-477 and had a WWT of 11.83 and PWWT of 18.