Two Eyre Peninsula Merino studs have struck a deal on one of Collandra North stud's top sire prospects, paying a new stud record of $25,000.
Don Baillie, Yanta stud, Tumby Bay and Warren Beattie, Mallee Hill stud, Ceduna, bought the 15 month old - Green Tag 35 - last week in a private sale negotiated by Elders after the ram caught their eye at at the recent EP Pre-Sale Expo in Wudinna and at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Bendigo, Vic.
The 20.9 micron was a son of Greenfields Big Jim which Collandra North stud principals Sydney and Graeme Lawrie bought for $20,000 at the Elders SA Stud Merino Expo in 2016 and has bred well for the stud.
The $25,000 ram's dam was a Collandra North ewe going back to Greenfields XP87.
Sydney said they had intended on keeping the 120 kilogram ram which had been the reserve champion March shorn strong wool ram at the Hay Sheep & Wool Show in June but were thrilled to get their genetics out to the two studs.
Collandra North has retained the right of first mating with Green Tag 35 in November as well as a half semen share in the ram.
"From the ground up he has has perfect feet- some of the best we have bred, stands very square behind, is very wide through the twist but the drawcard is the bone and tremendous wool cut," Sydney said.
"Everyone is trying to put more wool on their sheep and it is something we have been working on making sure our wool cut is up and the size and quality is there too."
The ram's other wool tests include a standard deviation of 2.9, coefficient of variation of 13.9 per cent and comfort factor of 99.5pc.
Collandra North will have many half brothers to Green Tag 35- also by Big Jim (a son of East Mundulla Jonty)- in their 40th annual on-property ram sale today.
