*43 Merinos and Polled Merinos of 60 sold to $8400, av $2772
The two top-priced rams from Kilfeera Merino stud, Lurg, near Benalla, are both heading into southern NSW, after being picked by the same buyer.
Spring Plains Pastoral Company, Booroorban, NSW, picked up both lot one, for $6000 and lot 12, for $8400.
Kilfeera Park stud co-principal Murray McKenzie said the top-priced animal, a horned ram, sold for a new property record, easily eclipsing the $5600 set last October.
"He is a pretty outstanding individual," Mr McKenzie said.
"He is the biggest sheep here, he's very structurally right, with a beautiful white wool on him - he was just a great package."
He said it had been wet, but a good season, at Lurg.
"We've had a lot of dry ones [seasons], as everyone has, but being on the hills we can put up with a bit more water than most," he said.
The stud had to concentrate on keeping the rams out of the weather, to ensure good bloom and presentation.
"It's been a bit of a challenge but the rams have handled it really well," he said.
Mr McKenzie said the ram's bloodlines went back to a sire bred on the property.
"He was by Roseville Park 1017, which has bred a lot of good sheep, around the country," he said.
The top-selling ram, Lot 12, was sired by Kilfeera 180705.
He had a 19.2-micron fleece, a standard deviation of 3.2micron, a coefficient of variation of 16.6pc and a 100pc comfort factor; he weighed 105kg.
The ram had a yearling weight of 4.4kg, a yearling fat of -1.0, a yearling eye muscle area of -0.8, a Merino Production Plus of 144 and a Fibre Production Plus of 139.
The second top-selling ram, Lot 1, a horned sire, was by Kilfeera 190301.
He had figures of a 19.5-micron fleece, an SD of 3.4 microns, a 17.5pc CV and a 99.5pc CF.
He weighed 82.5 kilograms and had a yearling weight of 3.7kg.
The ram's yearling fat measured -0.7mm and he had a yearling eye muscle depth of -0.9mm.
His Merino Production Plus index was 153 and his Fibre Production Plus index 142.
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Buyer David Nevinson, Spring Plains Pastoral Company, Booroorban, NSW, said he'd been buying Kilfeera Park rams for 15- 20 years.
"He is the sort of ram we want to breed from, we breed our own rams and that's why we bought him," he said.
Spring Plains runs 7500 ewes, he said.
"Hopefully he will improve the wool cut and produce multi-purpose type sheep," he said.
Spring Plains only used Kilfeera bloodlines.
The top poll ram sold for $5200.
Rams went locally and to the western district.
Among the volume buyers were EA Prowse, Violet Town (12) and LE Earl, Cavendish (nine).
The auction was conducted by Elders, interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
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.
