Wattle Woods tops fifth sale with blooming ramscracks top with $1700 Suffolk

A July 2015-drop ram sold at $1700 to repeat buyer James Bates, Kangaroo Island, who also picked up another two, averaging $1283.

The 103-kilogram sire, with Bowen bloodlines, NSW, had an eye muscle depth of 36 millimetres, and a fat depth of 5mm when it was tested in July.

Wattle Wood Springs stud principal Garry Gum said the “upstanding, strong ram” was possibly the pick of this year’s rams on offer.

“The top price ram had really good legs and depth, and had a very strong head,” he said.

“I was very pleased with the rams we had this year, and as lambs, they were the best I have bred.”

Mr Gum was pleased to increase the sale average by $142.

“Overall I was very pleased with the rams this year,” he said. “As lambs they had good early growth and had just started to bloom after a cold and wet winter.”

Mr Gum said they were getting more interest in their ram sales each year.

“It was the most even line up of rams I’ve had, with little difference from the top to bottom end of the sale offering,” he said. 

“We had repeat buyers attend from the Barossa, KI and the Mid North, plus a new buyer from KI.”

Volume buyer Ashleigh Bates, KI, bought six rams averaging $1033. 

Mr Gum said they were getting a lot of interest in their maiden ewes.

“The Suffolks have a smaller lamb and are a bit smoother in the shoulders, plus they don’t have as much lambing difficulties,” he said. 

Elders conducted the sale, with Scott Fleetwood, Jamestown, the auctioneer, and stud stock manager Tony Wetherall and Scott Bevan assisting.