*35 of 55 Corriedale rams sold to $4,400, av $1471
Victorian buyers were the predominant buyers at the annual Blackwood on-property Corriedale sale, held in Evandale, Tasmania.
Stud principal Peter Blackwood said there was solid support from buyers in the western districts, as they had proven to work well there.
In what was a spirited sale, the top-priced ram, Lot 26 Blackwood 210077 was sold for $4,400 via AuctionsPlus to Gordon Last, Garvald Vale, Byaduk, who is a commercial breeder of prime lambs.
Mr Last was also a significant volume buyer, taking home 10 Blackwood rams from the sale.
"That ram had some really balanced figures," Mr Blackwood said.
The ram was in the top 10 per cent of data in terms of Maternal Wool Production Plus, recording a 168.7 index.
It also had a measurement of 22.9 micron, along with a post weaning weight of 4.98 kilograms and an eye muscle depth of 0.64 millimetres.
Mr Blackwood said the ram also had "good muscle, fat measurement and weaning rate" with a top PFAT measurement of -0.01
He said most rams on offer with a positive fat measurement, a low micron and good index points, were sought after and buyers bid competitively for those rams.
Overall the sale had good support from existing clients from western Victoria, which Mr Blackwood said was a sign that genetics from the stud were doing well for them over the past years.
"Some have been using our genetics since we began and others have been using them for five years," he said.
He also said current condition were making it "a bit tough for some producers" which led to vital decisions being made so that producers got through the next period trying to finish lambs to the best of their ability.
Philip Gough, Salamanca Pastoral, Hotspur bought the equal second top-priced ram of the sale for $4000, which was Lot 21 Blackwood 21-0140, while Lot 43, Blackwood 210058 went for the same price.
