THERE was full clearance of 200 Poll Merino rams at Tom and Laura Davidson’s Moorundie Park Poll Merino on-property ram sale at Gulnare on Friday, with bidding from five states.
Buyers came from Qld, Vic, Tas and NSW, as well as most areas of SA.
A top price of $9000 was $2000 up on last year, and a healthy average of $1877 was achieved.
Buying the top price ram were Craig and Lynda Farrow, Babirra Poll Merino stud, Stansbury.
The 16 month old ram weighed 111 kilograms with 40.7 millimetre eye muscle depth. Its fleece was 20.2 micron, with 3.2 standard deviation, 15.8 coefficient of variation and 99.6 per cent comfort factor.
The Farrow family has been buying from Moorundie Park for 60 years.
“Our stud has been around since the early 1960s and my family started buying from Moorundie Park a few years before our stud began,” Craig Farrow said.
Mr Farrow said the top price ram had all the qualities he was looking for in a sire.
“It’s just a good, all-round ram, that is very good in the wool,” he said. “It’s got nice, bright wool, with great length of staple and very good comfort factor as well.”
The Farrows also bought another ram at $4200, and both will be going into stud duties back home on the Yorke Peninsula.
Another YP buyer purchased the second-highest price ram at $6800, Trevor Allen, Yorketown.
The 16 month old ram weighed 116kg, with 43EMD. Its fleece was 19.7M with 2.8SD, 14.2CV and 99.6CF.
Return clients David, Jill, Scott and Amanda Michel, Carriewerloo Station, via Port Augusta, were the major volume buyers, purchasing 23 rams to $3200, averaging $1591.
There was also great support from the Eyre Peninsula, with DH Turnbull & Co, Cleve, buying 10 rams to $3000, averaging $2400; Pendeen Trust, Rudall, four to $2800, averaging $2100 and JB&JM Post, Minnipa, four to $2000, averaging $1675.
Annerley Props, Lameroo, bought eight rams to $2600, averaging $1987, while Kangaroo Island client Steve Sampson, Brigalow Partners, took four to $4000, averaging $2900.
The sale was conducted by Elders with Tony Wetherall, Jack Coleman and Damien Webb sharing auctioneering duties. Mr Wetherall said a quality line-up was offered by Tom and Laura.
“Once again, a terrific line-up of 200 Poll Merino rams was offered at Moorundie Park, showing evenness of type right throughout,” he said.
“The rams have good carcase, good growth and quality, heavy-cutting medium wools.”
Mr Wetherall said the sale attracted a lot of repeat buyers.
“There was stud demand plus repeat commercial buyers from throughout SA and also interstate,” he said.
“I’d say it was really satisfying result for both buyers and the sellers.”
Tom Davidson said he was grateful for the support of clients in what is a very challenging season for many.
