Biggest sale in years for Anna Villa

Continuing the trend of sales throughout the state, the top price was up $1000 at $3100, average was up at $886 and the clearance rate was 100 per cent compared to 77pc in 2014.

Samuel and Wayne Young, Port Pirie, through Hill Livestock Crystal Brook, bought the top ram, a May 2014-drop White Suffolk.

The heavy ram, which was in the first lot offered, had Australian Sheep Breeding Values of 0.58 birthweight, 16.6 post-weaning weight, -0.9 fat depth, 1.3 eye muscle depth and a 202 carcaseweight.

Samuel said the ram was well-rounded.

"He had nice figures and was a nice, long and deep ram," he said.

"We have bought a few here over the past few years."

Entering the bidding halfway through the catalogue, Merna Station, Hawker, stocked up with 26 rams, averaging $661.

Volume buyers included DJ&PA Smith, Carrieton, with 14 rams, averaging $1057, and JM Kerin & Co, Freeling, with 10 rams, averaging $785.

Anna Villa principal Anthony Ferguson said he was very happy with the sale.

"It's not very often we get enquiries before the sale, but this year we had a few before and so I knew we were going to go pretty well," he said.

"But it went better than I thought.

"Some of the rams weren't as big as we have had other years, but they were growing out, they just needed a bit more condition on them and they sold very well.

"The top price ram was supposed to be sold at the Adelaide Elite Sale but we put another ram in instead and he has come up well for this sale."

Mr Ferguson said a total clearance was great and the average was "irrelevant".

"We always try to supply as many rams as we can and we don't like people going away without rams," he said.

"The figures of the rams are a little bit more this year but there is also more interest in sheep.

"There aren't as many rams about this year and everybody seems to be having quite good sale clearances throughout the state."