QUALITY offerings are not restricted to big studs, as was seen at Grant and Carolyn Johnson's Carcuma North Poll Merino on-property sale at Peake on Wednesday, August 7.
For a relatively small stud, the Johnsons put together an even line-up of 30 big-framed rams that displayed top carcase attributes, and appealing, heavy cutting, and high-comfort wool right through to the last lot.
They also offered 18 Poll Dorset and 6 White Suffolk rams from their Select prime lamb sire studs. The bigger buying gallery, that included 20 registered buyers, appreciated the quality on offer.
A big vote of confidence in the Carcuma North Poll Merinos came from Damien Heym, Peake, who bid to $2700 to take the first ram offered - a big and impressive 19.7-micron ram with 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
This was ultimately the sale's top price. Damien then bought this ram's two pen-mates at $1000 and $1700, and later added two more at $2100 and $1000 to be the biggest volume buyer of Poll Merinos.
Tim Bald, representing RN&LA Bald & sons, Ettrick, and buying through Elders Murray Bridge, was underbidder on the top lot, but was successful in buying four rams, paying to $2100 and averaging good value at $1025.
The Poll Merino draft had 11 successful bidders, taking the average of the 26 rams offered to a solid $908. This was despite the Johnson family's most loyal client for many years being absent because he had sold his property.
The Poll Dorset offering is the first in the South Australian meat sheep selling season, so it is hard to predict demand. Last year, only nine sold at auction, but stronger demand this year saw all 18 Poll Dorsets cleared.
The Johnsons offered White Suffolks for the first time, and sold four of the six.
* Full report in Stock Journal, August 15 issue, 2013.
