Glendemar MPM stud, Marnoo, sells Merinos to long-term buyers

The stud sold 157 Merino rams to a top price of $9000 a head (twice) to average $3582, while only two rams were passed in at auction during the mega western district sale.

Glendemar MPM stud principal Ben Duxson said the sale was underpinned by loyal and long-term buyers who had bought rams from the Merino stud for more than 20 years.

"These people have confidence in the rams and confidence in the sheep job," he said.

"Everyone appreciates the ASBVs we offer and a huge amount of our clients are non-mulesed and are receiving the Responsible Wool Standards premium for their wool and that's who we're trying to target."

"A lot of people were also very keen on the carcase and fertility traits of our rams."

READ MORE:

The stud was started in 1966 by Mr Duxson's grandfather.

The two top-priced Merino rams were bought by interstate buyers including the Goodes family, Barooka, Kingston, SA, who run a large two-state commercial breeding operation.

The Goodes highest-priced ram, Lot 78 for $9000, was one of 11 rams purchased by the SA family.

Glendemar MPM said the ram was in the Australian Sheep Breeding Values top 5 per cent for PFAT and EMD.

Henry Goodes, who runs the operation with his father, Dean, and brothers Tom and William, said the ram would be used to breed self-replacing flock sires.

"We were after a well-balanced ram that had all the traits we need," he said.

"We focus on the growth, fat, eye muscle and staple length and now we want to balance those traits with some of the newer traits like IMF while maintaining the beautiful, white crimpy wool.

"He will do the job and be used with our 200-ewe nucleus flock which we use to breed top-up rams from."

The second equal top-priced ram was secured by commercial breeders Dean and Denise Trotter, Perillup Estate, Mount Barker, SA, along with Dean's father, Mostyn.

The Trotters bought two rams for $9000 and $7500, with the sale topper, Lot 151, offering good PFAT and EMD figures and was in the top 20pc of the breed for wool cut.

"We're based 350 kilometres south of Perth, WA, and run a full commercial operation where we breed our own rams to supply that operation," Dean said.

"For 27 years, we've always bought the best ram in the catalogue from Glendemar as a source of our future sires at Perillup Estate.

"We liked his figures, his shape and basically the type of ram he is, and while it's a basic description, I thought he had the best figures which would suit our enterprise."

Among the volume buyers was return client Vasey Farms, Vasey, which bought 12 ram to $7500 (twice), and Melanie Fernadez, Beazleys Bridge, who bought nine rams to $3500.

Howard and Chris Frampton, Joel Joel - who have bought rams from the stud for nearly 60 years - bought seven rams to a top price of $7000, while Martin Long, Wareek, bought four rams to $8500.

Other long-term clients included the Peters family, Cleve, SA, who bought six rams to $8000 (twice), and the Pitcher family, Skipton, who also bought six rams.

The Dunstan Family, who operated through AuctionPlus, were also active, as was account Parilla, SA, which bought three.

Brian Stacey, Chatsworth, bought eight rams to $5500, while neighbours David and Lana Lang bought seven rams, while Herbie and Marcia Duxson secured six rams.