*52 of 61 rams sold to $6400, av $2059
Tasmania's Blackwood Corriedale annual on property auction hit a sale high of $6400, as rising demand lifts the stud average by $400 to $2059.
The top priced ram was purchased by Gordon Last of Garvald Vale, Hamilton, who put together a consignment of 13 rams, for a draft average of $2861.
The ram was by Blackwood B170055 and was in the top one per cent of the breed on the Maternal Wool Production plus (MWP+) index at 173.66 and had a 25.2 micron fleece.
Other rams purchased by Garvald included Lot 45, a sire in the breed's top 5pc for MWP+ index, with 23.5 micron.
Next best sale price was $6000, paid by Kinatura Corriedales, Creswick North, for Lot 3, a 27.2 micron ram with a plus 1.37 millimetre post weaning fat depth (PFAT) and a MWP+ index of 180.07, also in the breed's top 1pc.
His brother is currently ranked number one in the breed and has been used as a ram lamb in the stud with 70 progeny on the ground.
Kinatura also purchased Lot 2, the junior champion Corriedale at Campbelltown Show this year, who recorded a MWP+ of 154.3 and 26.5micron fleece.
The grandsire of the two highest priced rams, Lot 1 and 3, was the top price Corriedale at Sheepvention, Hamilton, in 2017 at $6500, breaking a 20 year sale record for the breed.
More than 50pc of the rams sold at the auction were in the breed's top 10pc for performance in both Australia and New Zealand. Out of 52 rams sold, 35 went to Western District properties.
"Our clients are focused on the performance figures - our gold medal rams," Blackwood principal Peter Blackwood said.
"We achieve genetic gains by using our best ram lambs and by selecting for it.
"We do a lot of recording from the day of birth onward so we can identify the top performing animals."
Several rams were purchased by studs from other breeds, Mr Blackwood said, with breeders chasing extra growth, number of lambs weaned and mid-micron fleece.
Annabelle Cleeland
Annabelle Cleeland is a Stock & Land journalist. She has worked at Australian Community Media for more than a decade serving in a number of roles including editor, senior journalist and national sheep & wool writer. She runs a fine Merino wool property with her young family in North-East Victoria.
Annabelle Cleeland is a Stock & Land journalist. She has worked at Australian Community Media for more than a decade serving in a number of roles including editor, senior journalist and national sheep & wool writer. She runs a fine Merino wool property with her young family in North-East Victoria.
