Bunyara sells to $5200 top

The sale had total clearance of 70 rams with an increased top price and a lift of $110 on the average from last year.

Stud principal Ian Koch said he thought the sale went really well.

“The 100 per cent clearance is something we’ve been trying to get for a number of years,” he said.

“There are a number of breed objectives that we’ve been working towards and they’re falling into place, which is really pleasing.”

The interest continued after the sale, with Mr Koch saying there had already been strong enquiry on the private selection rams.

Top price was paid by sale regular Peter Lintern, Tungkillo, for a 121 kilogram ram which ranked 99.6 in the index and 100 per cent for greasy fleece weight.

It had a fleece with 19.8 microns, 2.6 standard deviation, 13.1 coefficient of variation and 99.8 per cent comfort factor.

Mr Lintern said there was a lot to like about this ram.

“It’s big with beautiful wool with a good length of staple,” he said.

“There’s not much about this ram I wouldn’t like.”

The Linterns bought seven rams in total, with four destined for their station Chalky’s Well, at Pooncarie, NSW.

The other three, including the top price ram, will stay in the Adelaide Hills to be joined to a few of their “better ewes”.

The ram was bred from a semen investment from Moorundie Park B 306, which sold at the 2014 Adelaide Merino Ram sale for $53,000. 

Mr Koch said this was the first AI program they have had for a number of years and its success would encourage them to consider more in the future.

“It enables us to get better genetics without spending a lot of money on a ram as a smaller stud,” he said.

There is a second drop from the sire expected next year.

Volume buyer was Wirryilka Pastoral Co, via Broken Hill, which bought nine rams to $1300, averaging $1067. 

BJ Egel and LR Crookes, through Landmark Murray Bridge, bought seven rams to $2800, averaging $1800, while NP&BP Saegenschnitter, Kapunda, bought five rams to $1100, averaging $960.

Elders Stud Stock’s Tom Penna and Landmark Stud Stock’s Gordon Wood shared the auctioneer duties.