- 83 out of 96 rams sold to $7250, av $2256
A BRIGHT sunny day welcomed many local buyers to the 2022 Glenelg Regional Merino Field Day ram sale at Balmoral.
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Lots were regularly sold in the low to mid $2000 range at the multi-vendor sale, with vendors and agents describing an average of $2256 recorded at the sale as solid.
The top-priced ram, Lot 84 M38497, belonging to Glendonald stud, Nhill sold for $7250 to Staude Partnership, Pigeon Ponds.
Will Staude, who was representing the stud at the sale, said the ram had "free growing white wool with a good carcase under it".
"He'll go over probably 50 of our selected ewes out of our own flock and to breed a couple of rams for ourselves," he said.
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The ram had won the champion sash in the ram sale competition held earlier in the day, with its fleece measuring 20.6 micron, had a standard deviation of 2.5, a coefficient of variation of 12.1 and a comfort factor of 99.7 per cent.
"We've been buying from Glendonald of nearly thirty-odd years, and all their rams have been good to us," he said.
Glendonald stud principal Robert Harding said he aims to sell well-balanced rams, and that was no different with his top-priced ram.
"This ram was a good size, with a beautiful poll, good legs and pretty, good body weight," he said.
"At 111 kilos and more than one year old, which I think is pretty good. "He was by an Oakbank sire that I saw about a couple of years ago, where we got to swap a bit of semen, which is how he came to be now."
Mr Harding said there was a lot of good value in today's sale, and buyers took the opportunity to buy up, despite unease in the industry.
"I know things are on the horizon that people are concerned about like foot and mouth, and while there is some confidence, there some downsides too right now," he said.
"I'd say in my time, which is nearly 50 years, I don't think I've ever seen the industry so confused."
Staude Partnerships bought another of Glendonald's rams, Lot 76 M38458, for $2500, which he said had "a big bone shape great wool too".
Other notable vendor sellers were Gleneden, Moranding, who sold two lots, Lot 1 DB620 and Lot 42 W169, each for $4000.
Mount Yulong, Telangatuk East, also had two lots, Lot 18 M38221 and Lot 20 M38217, also sold for $3400.
Kevlyn, Coojar also sold their top-priced ram, Lot 46 210015, for $3800 to an AuctionsPlus buyer.
President of the Glenelg Regional Field Days Group, Warren Russell, said the competition and auction was a successful day for many local Merino studs.
"The group has been around for a good while now, and we've got a base group of 11 studs that initially started off in the group, and we've welcomed new members this year," he said.
He also said the local region had been seasonally lucky.
"We've been fortunate that we've had a good early start locally, with a mild and sort of dry type of winter here, while spring looks like it will also go well with an increased chance of La Nina."
Stud stock manager at Nutrien Bendigo Nicholas Farley said demand at the sale was steady with good local support.
"There was plenty of interest here from Balmoral locals, and buyers from Harrow and through to Horsham country," he said.
"It wasn't an overly buoyant sale, and it did take some work, but with the addition of new studs, it's good to see around 100 lots here with some demand from buyers."
