Ram hits $5000 top at Wingamin on-farm auction

The stud’s 21st auction drew buyers from the South East, Adelaide Hills and into Vic, with 105 of the 110 rams offered sold to $5000, averaging $1171.

Return buyer Craig Hicks, Strathalbyn, took home just one ram, paying the sale’s top price for lot 1.

Aiming to introduce new bloodlines, Mr Hicks said the ram had a great shape, was well put together, and would perform well in his 600-head White Suffolk flock.

“It’s a good structured, clean ram and I think it will do a good job,” he said.

“I try to get rams from a few different studs.”

The top price ram, sired by Detpa Grove 130197, had a 193 Carcase Plus Index, 14.7 post-weaning weight, -0.6PW fat depth and a 1.4PW eye muscle depth.

Wingamin stud principals Deb and Clive Shillabeer highlighted Detpa Grove, Prestige Farm, Wheetelande, Kurralea and Wingamin bloodlines as having performed well in the sale.

“We had a lot of positive comments about the presentation of our sheep and it was good to see a lot of loyal repeat clients attend,” Mr Shillabeer said.

“It was a good sale, but we were probably missing a few of our volume buyers.”

Despite a drier than average season, Mrs Shillabeer said the rams had progressed well.

“We are trying to breed fast-growing, structurally correct, long and well muscled rams,” she said.

“They are rams that are going to turn off sucker lambs early for the Mallee region.”

Volume buyers included JM Farley, Peake, who bought 22 rams averaging $886, while Middlegrove Pastoral, Strathalbyn, took 10 averaging $1360.

Angaston buyer Farleigh Pty Ltd secured nine averaging $966 while Yarrabah Props, Bordertown, took home five averaging $1280.

The sale was conducted by Elders Karoonda and Murray Bridge, with Dean Coddington taking bids.