SALE SUMMARY
2016 2015
Offered 140 120
Sold 138 120
Top $6200 $5000
Av $1781 $2209
A WIDE geographical spread of buyers from three states ensured Kelvale stud had plenty to celebrate in its 50th year breeding Poll Merinos.
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At the stud’s annual on-property ram sale at Keith on Thursday last week, principals Stephen and Peta Kellock sold 138 of 140 May/June 2015-drops for an impressive $1781 average.
After having one of the highest SA stud sale averages in 2015, the Kellocks added another 20 rams this year, giving buyers even more choice of long stapled, white woolled rams with carcase merit.
This also made it more affordable for the buyers from Tas, SA and Vic in the milestone sale.
Bids flew in the sale shed for many lots but there were paddock-run rams for all budgets.
Nearly 40 rams sold in the $600-$1000 price bracket.
The stud has maintained its commercial focus while moving with the times, shearing twice a year and ceasing mulesing.
This was evident in their easy-care, plain-bodied sheep.
Another feature was the excellent wool tests in the offering which averaged 18.3 micron with a 99.4 per cent comfort factor. The majority had positive muscle and fat MerinoSelect Australian Sheep Breeding Values.
Eyre Peninsula buyers led the bidding charge.
Tom Davey, BR&DJ Davey & Son, Port Neill, paid the $6200 top price for lot 3 – an AI-bred ram from WA stud Challara.
The 19.9M ram weighed 100 kilograms and was one of the sale’s heaviest cutters with its greasy fleece weight 45pc above the flock average.
Its fleece measurements included a 3.1 standard deviation, 15.7 coefficient of variation and 99.5CF.
The sale topper also had high ranking carcase ASBVs, with a 7.55 yearling weight, 0.33 fat and 1.42 eye muscle depth.
The Daveys bought four rams averaging $3450.
“We liked the size, shape and wool cut,” Mr Davey said.
Another long-time supporter GH Phillips & Son, Minnipa, paid the $4600 second-highest price for lot 6.
The 17.3M ram, by a Kelvale sire, had an exceptional 85-millimetre staple length from four months’ growth.
Formosa Estate, Cressy, Tas, buyer of the $5000 equal top price ram last year, again operated on the top end. It bought seven rams to $4200, averaging $2914.
Greenwood Park, Auburn, topped the volume buyer list with 16 rams to $3400, averaging $1719.
