IMPRESSIVE yearling weights and a very even line-up were the features of the eighth annual on-property Wattle Wood Springs auction at Myponga on Tuesday last week.
In the sale breakdown, 20 of 30 June/July 2018-drop Suffolk rams were sold to a top of $950 five times, with a sale average of $850.
Top-price buyer last year Tim Nelder, Tanunda, bought the highly-rated lot three for $950 this year.
The July-drop ram was sired by Pine Ridge P451 and had Lambplan carcase figures of 7.9 for weaning weight, 11.6 for post-weaning weight, and a 169 Carcase Plus Index.
Stud principal Garry Gum described the catalogue of rams as the most even line they had offered, with the best yearling weights they had bred - the majority between 95 and 110 kilograms.
"We concentrate on growth and structure a lot," Mr Gum said.
"We use the figures as a reference to see if they align to what we think is a good ram."
A regular at Wattlewood Springs, the volume buyer of the sale was Ashleigh Bates, Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island, who bought seven rams to $850, averaging $836.
The sale clearance rate was affected by a few regular buyers not requiring rams, but Mr Gum was pleased to see plenty of regular clients in attendance.
Mr Gum anticipates his sale lineup will continue to improve, with 2020 to feature progeny of a ram bought from Bowen Suffolk Stud, NSW, at the 2018 Adelaide Royal Show Elite sale. The ram was bought in conjunction with Rachael Chirgwin, Curlew Valley Stud, Manoora.
Elders conducted the sale, with Scott Fleetwood the auctioneer.
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