*84 of 86 Poll Dorset rams sold to $4200, av $1728
*Total clearance of 36 Charollais rams sold to $2700, av $1891
*34 of 41 Suffolk rams sold to $2800, av $1380
LSK Poll Dorset and Suffolk stud held its third annual on-property ram auction at Hexham, presenting good-quality rams across three breeds.
The sale resulted in a total clearance of the 36 Charollais rams to a high of $2700 with an average of $1891.
Poll Dorsets were popular with 84 of the 86 on offer being sold to a top of $4200 and an average of $1728.
Suffolk rams cleared 34 from 41 on offer, with a top of $2800 and an average of $1380.
"We had outstanding support from a number of local, loyal, volume ram clients," LSK stud principal Lachie Kelly said.
"We also had a number of new clients buying rams on the day.
"We really look forward to working with them all going forward and seeing what they can achieve with their new genetics."
Top buyer for the day, taking home Lot 5, a Poll Dorset ram for $4200, was John Uebergang, Hamilton, who purchased from LSK for the first-time last year.
Mr Uebergang, a farmer and sub-agent for Kerr & Co who ran the sale along with KP Lanyons Stock & Station Agents from Hamiton, said he was very impressed with LSK's offering.
He also praised the up-and-coming stud, saying their enthusiasm and focus on breeding sheep that were "doing right" was paying off.
"I look for good Australian Sheep Breeding Values figures, focusing on a high birth weight and big eye muscle," he said.
"The LSK rams are structurally strong and not too leggy.
"We find they stand up to the challenges of the weather and are quite robust.
"We prefer to turn lambs off early rather than shearing all of them and the LSK genetics are ideal."
Mr Kelly said they were really excited about the line up and LSK had a long-term objective for their rams to provide the best return on their clients' investment.
He said he was grateful for their clients' ability to appreciate wet rams which included quite a large number of very young sheep.
"We were very happy with the outcome and believe that it was an excellent and balanced sale, everyone was able to secure their requirements within their budget," he said.
"New features this year included the ability to display sheep off-farm throughout the year, and also the sale being interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
"These proved to be beneficial endeavours.
"We're very clear about what makes our clients money.
"In our environment that is the most live lambs, sold the soonest, having performed the highest in between, balanced with the structure and type to thrive.
"The demands on ram breeders have never been more complex.
"We are right across all of it in the background, and will never lose sight of the fundamentals of commercial production."
