*79 of 84 rams sold to $10,000, av $3658
TELOPEA Downs wool producer Roger Clark, Murrawong, has again paid top price for a ram from Oakbank, Merinos and Poll Merinos, Gre Gre North.
Mr Clark paid $10,000 for Lot 2, Oakbank PY-473, sired by Barry 83.
He last paid top price of $8500 n 2020.
He said it was the most outstanding ram in the draft.
"It had nice and soft wools and all the traits we were looking for," he sad.
"It was a nice and long, stretchy ram."
He said he hoped the ram would improve the wool cut and size of the animals in his flock.
"Oakbank rams mature a lot quicker - they are only 12-months-old as they are born in the spring, while most studs lamb in the autumn," he said.
"They are big, stretchy sheep for their age and they do really well in our country."
He looked for rams with "good, strong vigour", which did well.
"It's fairly harsh country sometimes," he said.
He said the ram would be joined from December 1 onwards, for a May/June-drop.
"We don't want too early a lamb, because if you don't get rain until April or May, there is not much sense lambing down in March, when there is no green grass around," he said.
He said he had been on Oakbank for more than 20 years.
The ram had a 19.4-micron fleece, a standard deviation (SD) of 3, co-efficient of variation (CV) of 15.5 and comfort factor (CF) of 99.9 per cent.
The ram weighed 110 kilograms.
The second top-priced ram, Lot 56, PY-483, was also sired by Barry-83 and sold to Panorama stud, Mysia, for $9500.
The ram had a 19.7-micron fleece, a 3.10 SD, 15.6 CV and 99.4 CF.
He weighed 110kg.
Oakbank stud principal Warren McRae said the price demonstrated the depth of the rams for sale.
Last year, Oakbank had a total clearance of 84 rams, selling to $9500 and averaging $4146.
Mr McRae said he was very happy with the result.
"The top-priced and second top-priced rams were by Barry 83, who has been breeding very well," he said.
"The [top] ram had a big frame and good, long staple wool, which is probably what stood out.
"We've been doing much the same we always do, pretty much poking along, trying not to get too complicated."
Although the property had a significant amount of rain in the last few months, it had mainly fallen in 15-20-millimetre bursts.
"They've been out in the rain, but they haven't handled it too badly," Mr McRae said.
Rams went locally and up to properties around Nhill.
At this year's Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Oakbank met with success in the ram sale and fleece competition.
The stud took out the Sandford Beggs Memorial Trophy for the most successful Merino exhibitor of the show and won the Lionel Weatherly Trophy for the best group of three rams and two ewes.
The sale was conducted by Elders and Nutrien.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
