SALE SUMMARY
Poll Merino
2019 2018
Offered 36 29
Sold 29 22
Top $3200 $2800
Av $1038 $1200
Poll Dorset/White Suffolk
Offered 26 25
Sold 15 13
Top $1150(4) $850(4)
Av $767 $673
CARCUMA North made further inroads in building its client base with a slightly larger offering and lift in clearance rate at its 12th annual ram sale at Peake on Wednesday last week.
But the Mallee sale still represented extreme value with Grant and Carolyn Johnson selling 29 of 36 Poll Merinos for a $1038 average.
Long-time supporters the Heym family, Peake, took home both the prizes for buying the top price ram and largest volume buyer donated by the Johnsons and Australian Wool Network.
To win those they bought eight rams, paying to $3200 and averaging $1575, including the first five rams offered.
It was the lot 4 ram, CN006 that topped the sale.
The 17.5M ram had the longest staple wool in the draft.
SJ&AL Wiencke, Karoonda were also strong bidders and ran the Heyms very close on the volume stakes, buying seven to $1000, averaging $814.
RJ&AM Piggott, Jabuk, bought five rams to $800 and Matthew and Lisa Ballard, Yakkaroo Pastoral, Coomandook, secured four rams to $1900, averaging $1125.
Fifteen of 26 spring-2018-drop White Suffolk and Poll Dorsets offered by the Johnsons sold for a $767 average.
Neville and Kevin Heintze, Murrayville, Vic, picked up the top four Poll Dorsets at $1150 each in their 23rd year buying from the Johnsons who have been breeding Poll Dorsets for 63 years.
The other prime lamb sires sold to three of the stud's Merino buyers including Paul Carling, Parrakie, who bought four White Suffolks to $900, as well as securing a Poll Merino for $800.
Co-principal Grant Johnson said it was nice to have a better season than 2018 but the rams were finer than the breeding flock's 20.5M average largely due to the poor seasonal conditions the rams endured for the first two thirds of their lives.
Despite their early life struggles, the rams presented very well and had body weights in the mid 90 kilogram to 110kg range.
Elders and Landmark conducted the sale with Richard Miller the auctioneer.
In his pre-sale amble Mr Miller congratulated the Johnsons on the growth and capacity in their sheep.
"They have doing ability, constitution and productivity and nothing is hidden here in this great presentation," he said.
