While the top price and average were down on last year, Cashmore Oaklea stud co-principal John Keiller said return clients were a feature of the annual on-line sale.
He said eight rams sold for more than $4000 a head, all to stud operations in Victoria, SA and NSW. Other rams went to Tasmania.
The top-priced Maternal ram sold for $11,200, while the best-selling Nudie went for $8800.
Cashmore offered 835 rams - 495 Maternals, 300 Nudies and 40 Poll Dorsets - over three separate sales on AuctionsPlus.
The sale saw 390 Maternal rams sell to $11,200, average $1430; 242 Nudies go for a top of $8800, for a $1580 av and 20 of the 40 Poll Dorsets cleared to a top of $1400, av $900.
"We had mostly return clients, with sound stable businesses that value the animals and the effort that goes into the extensive performance recording," he said.
"Nudie flocks have expanded their range, across wherever we have had maternal composite flocks - from Kangaroo Island, SA, Gippsland and southern NSW."
There was a higher demand for easy-care, shedding animals, brought about by higher shearing costs, low wool prices, depreciating assets and labour issues, he said.
The top-priced ram, Lot 81, was bought by AWN sheep and wool specialist Dale Bruns, Hamilton, on behalf of Yarram Park.
He was an August 2022-drop ram with a birthweight of 0.03 kilograms, a weaning weight of 7.3kg, post-weaning weight of 12.3kg and yearling weight of 15.4kg.
The ram had a lean meat yield of 3.1, an intramuscular fat of -0.6 and shear force five at five days of 2.2.
His post-weaning eye muscle depth was four millimetres and post-weaning fat depth was 1.4mm.
He had a post-weaning worm egg count of -79.
"The ram had positive fat and excellent muscle, so he is a very resilient animal, potentially quite suited to a changing climate," Mr Keiller said.
"Fat and muscle give animals robustness and hardiness.
"Nudie sheep people are looking for shedding, on a balanced animal - one that sheds with good growth, reproduction and negative parasite figures."
Nutrien livestock agent Tim Jewell, Hamilton said the sale went very well in the current economic climate.
"They show very good carcase traits and no wool, the female portion are fertile and very productive," Mr Jewell said.
"A lot of people are shying away from that shearing."
He said a lot of stronger wool sheep "don't shear their way out, so it's become a cost."
Among the volume buyers of Maternals were Boonderoo Pastoral, Conmurra, SA, (twelve), Kanangra Props, Furner, NSW, (eight), Lowes Park Estate, Woodbury, Tasmania (eight) and Nutrien Ararat (eight).
Julie Underwood, Coreen, NSW (eight), Dale Martin, Taminick, Victoria, (nine) and Darren Morris, King Island, SA, five, were among the volume buyers of Nudie rams.
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.
