Longwood Poll Merino stud reaches a top price not once, but three times

Hynam Poll Merinos sold three rams, Lots 1, 2 and 4, each for the top price of $3000.

Stud principal Kevin Hynam said he was pleased with the result, as it was on a par with what the stud was expecting.

"Our first run was good, but it would have been nice to have a few more buyers to take those base level rams," Mr Hynam said.

"It was very pleasing to see repeat buyers and a few new ones operating on those better rams at the start."

He said two new buyers were among the three who paid the top price.

"I don't think the El Nino announcement had any impact on what was going to happen, it might confirm things a bit more, but we were all aware there was that risk," he said.

He said the top price of $3000 was "not too bad, considering what we can get for an old ewe or a young sheep."

The buyer of Lot 2, James Maslen, Willurah, Conargo, NSW, manager said he liked the richness of the ram's wool,

"He is a good, open type with plenty staple length, and that rich, nourished wool," Mr Maslen said.

"He will come back to our flock and get a bit of richness into our wools."

He said he was joining 15,000 ewes.

Mr Maslen also paid top price of $8000 at the Classings Classic, Murray Bridge, SA, for a Hynam ram.

"That ram is a half-brother to this fella, there is a link back to the Gunallos, so this is what we wanted to do," he said.

"I came to get the bloke I bought at Classings and thought I could do two things at once."

Mr Maslen said the property was prepared for any potential dry times, now an El Nino had been declared.

"Half our ewes are joined to terminals, fortunately we can cut our flock in half and not affect our nucleus," he said.

Lot 1, sired by Hynam 190202, was a May-2022 drop ram, with a fleece of 18.9 microns. He weighed 95 kilograms.

He was purchased by Ben Clark, Jackson Agriculture, Wagga Wagga, NSW.

The ram had a standard deviation of 2.6 per cent, a co-efficient of variation of 13.6pc and comfort factor of 99.8pc.

His post-weaning weight was 3.15kg, yearling weight was 5.97kg, yearling eye muscle depth was 0.21 millimetres, yearling fat 0.46mm and he had a yearling clean fleece weight of 16.42kg.

Lot 2, sired by Hynam 200244, weighed 102kg and was also a May 2022-drop ram.

He had a 17.5 micron fleece, an SD of 2.6pc, CV of 16.2pc and CF of 99.7.

His PWT measured 5.65kg, his YWT was 8.46kg, YEMD was -0.82 and he had a YFAT measurement of -0.47.

His YCFW was 23.01kg.

Lot 4, a May 2022-drop ram was sired by 200157 and was bought by David Freeman, Whiteheads Creek.

He had a 19.1 micron fleece, 3.2pc SD, 17pc CV and CF of 99.2pc.

His post-weaning weight was 7.39kg, YWT 10.34kg, YEMD of 0.75 and YFAT of -0.14.

His YCFW was 15.41kg.

Elders District Wool manager Rex Bennett, Bendigo, said the front end of rams presented very well.

"As other sales have done, it lacked that bit of interest in the back end of the sale," Mr Bennett said.

"But, realistically, there were repeat buyers, who have been happy with the rams, over the years.

"This year, people were obviously a bit more reflective of their buying habits.

"There are still some people who are a bit indecisive as to whether they are going to join as many ewes to Merinos.

There were a few buyers who attended the sale last year, who didn't come this year.

"People are starting to audit where they are at, in relation to holding stock, what they are going to take through and what enterprise they are going to run."

Mr Bennett said for some producers, the mix of terminals and replacements was yet to determined, depending on seasonal influences and flock numbers.

Among the volume buyers were Bathurst Downs, Serpentine (five), R & K Fraser, Longwood (four), John Bassett, Seymour, (three) and the Laws Family Trust, Pine Lodge, (three).