*37 of 50 Charinga rams sold to $4750, av $1723
*24 of 29 Banavie rams sold to $3000, av $1730
ABOUT 50 Charinga and Banavie Merino rams are bound to properties in Tasmania following the studs' commercial online auction, which peaked at $4750.
It was the second sale for the season for vendors Jo and Roger Polkinghorne and Tim and Karina Polkinghorne, who sold 37 of 50 Charinga rams offered to $4750, for a sale average of $1723, and 24 of 29 Banavie rams to $3000, av $1730.
It is the fourth year the Merino studs have offered a supplement auction entirely online, which Roger Polkinghorne said was an offering of affordable paddock-ran rams.
"We have put in many years of embryo transfer to develop our type and skins on the sheep - with staple length, density and nourishment - which we are renown for," Mr Polkinghorne said.
"We had comments our ram sale was too high so this sale is an opportunity to get a run of rams for $1500-$2000 that are guaranteed to perform - it has attracted new clients because of the commercial focus.
"(The catalogue) is some of the best private selection paddock rams, with the aim of building clients confidence, that they can buy numbers of rams at a fair price, straight out of the paddock."
This marketing plan attracted more than breeders, with a Merino stud based at The Rock, NSW, buying the top priced ram, Lot 2, for $4750.
Top of the Charinga catalogue at $4750 was Lot 2, a July 2020-drop weighing 105 kilograms, 19.8-micron ram with a standard deviation (SD) of 3.8, a coefficient of variation (CV) of 19.4 comfort factor (CF) of 98.5 per cent and a staple length of 120mm.
The second highest price Charinga ram was $3250, paid for Lot 10, a Sweety son weighing 100kg, with fleece data of 18.9m, SD of 3.3, CV of 17.3, CF of 99, and 105mm staple length.
Three Banavie rams secured the top price of $3000, paid for Lot 53, a 87kg June-2020 drop sire with 19.9m, SD 3.3, CV of 16.5 and CF of 98.7.
Equal price was Lot 55 and 63, a 103kg April-2020 drop sire with a fleece data of 20.2m, SD of 2.9, CV 13.7, and CF 99.6, and a 103kg sire with 18.6m, SD of 3.5, CV of 18.9 and CF of 99.5, respectively.
"We are building a big market in Tasmania and these growers want rams out of a paddock, facing the rigours of paddock life, so they have confidence that they can stand to the conditions of a wetter environment," Mr Polkinghorne said.
"There are about 50 rams going to Tasmania to several big properties. A representative goes through them physically so they're to just selecting rams online without assistance."