A total of 40 bidders, including five new clients, registered for the Calcookara Poll Merino ram sale on Thursday last week, where an extra 10 rams were offered.
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The sale offered 129 rams this year, with 115 knocked down, to an average of $1932 and a $5750 top.
Sold at Lot 2, the top price ram was sired by Calcookara 400 and went to PS & JJ Turner, Cleve.
It had Australian Sheep Breed Values of 8.78 for yearling weight, 10.46 for yearling clean fleece weight and 8.96 for yearling staple length, with a measurement of 18.8 for micron, 14.7 for coefficient of variation, 2.6 for standard deviation and 99.8 for comfort factor.
Buyer Paul Turner said he was pleased to take home the ram.
"He had good boldness and length of crimp with a nice body," he said.
"I've got some very special ewes for him that he'll go over at the beginning of November."
Stud principal Brenton Smith said the ram was his pick ahead of the sale.
"He was just a big plain animal with beautiful, long, free growing white wool," he said.
"He was sired by probably the best wool ram we've bred and was always a standout for us."
Mr Smith said if Lot 2 didn't fetch the top price, he knew Lot 5 would due to its similar traits and structure.
Sold for $5500 to Puckridge Agriculture, Cummins, the ram had ASBVs of 9.02 for YWT, 10.60 for YCFW, 11.82 for YSL and 0.42 yearling eye muscle depth, with a score of 19.9 for micron, 13.2 for CV, 2.6 for SD and 99.8 for CF.
The buyer purchased a further five rams to a total average of $3200.
Nutrien auctioneer Gordon Wood said the sale result was positive given the position of the industry.
"There are 10 more ram in this year and we've come out with a similar amount sold, so I think overall it was a great result for the family," he said.
"The sheep presented really well with a lot of interest from local buyers as well as buyers further away like the South East and into Victoria.
"The rams are very much a paddock run animal and present with plenty of nourishment, good rich, lustrous fibers and good data and they perform well in all kinds of environments."
The volume buyers on the day were Locks Well Pastoral, Elliston, and NV & EJ Byerlee, Orroroo, who bought 10 rams apiece.
Locks Well averaged $1770 to a top of $4600 for Lot 15.
The ram had ASBVs of 7.85 for YWT, 21.64 for YCFW and 8.07 for YSL.
The Byerlee family paid an average of $1720 and a top of $3000.
Carapook Pastoral, Casterton, a new buyer, purchased nine rams to a top of $1500 and an average of $1255.
Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall said Lot 2 was a quality all rounder which set the scene for the day.
"Right from the start the rams were in high demand," he said.
"There were more rams offered this year but the depth and the quality was still there and there was healthy bidding throughout.
"The average is back quite a bit, but it's getting about getting rams in paddock and we know clients have been able to select the rams they want at the price they want and will be return buyer, so overall I think everyone's very pleased."
The sale was interfaced with AuctionsPlus, with Elders Cowell the duty agents.
Katie Jackson
Journalist at Stock Journal. Born into a journo family in the state's South East, Katie made the move to the big smoke to join the team in early 2022 after seven years spent at various mastheads in the regions.
Journalist at Stock Journal. Born into a journo family in the state's South East, Katie made the move to the big smoke to join the team in early 2022 after seven years spent at various mastheads in the regions.
