LONG-TERM clients helped create the outstanding result at East Bungaree’s ram sale at Hallett.
Taking home the top price Merino at $5500 was Ivan Fiegert and his son Fred, IB&GD Fiegert, Edillilie.
The ram weighed 108 kilogram, and had a 21.2 micron fleece, with 3 standard deviation, 14.7 coefficient of variation and 99.4 per cent comfort factor.
Ivan said he had been buying from the stud for more than 30 years.
“I’ve always liked the shape and the size of the rams,” he said.
He said the white, crimpy wool on East Bungaree rams had always impressed as well.
This year the family bought four Merinos averaging $3537.
Three generations from The Oaks property at Hawker attended the sale – John Rowe, his son-in-law Daniel Hatcher and grandson Eddie Hatcher.
Mr Rowe said his family started buying East Bungaree Merinos back in 1938.
This year the family took home 15 Merinos to $2400, averaging $2073.
“The wool, constitution and frame is what keeps us coming back,” Mr Rowe said.
“We’re getting good lambing percentages from using East Bungaree rams. It’s been more than 100pc in the past few years.”
The sale was conducted by Elders, with Tony Wetherall, Tom Penna, Damien Webb and Conor Lamond sharing auctioneering duties.
Mr Penna said it was a sensational day for all involved.
“To have 300 rams penned, and to keep the quality up right to the last pen, is a huge achievement,” he said.
“It was the evenness of the lineup that kept the shed humming all day.
“East Bungaree runs an outstanding program, breeding 1400 ram lambs. So to offer 300 out of the 1400, you know you’re dealing with the top of the tree.”
Mr Penna said confidence in the industry was evident at the sale.
“A lot of pastoral buyers bid right up. They’ve had terrific returns in the past few years, and they’re reinvesting into their sires,” he said.