A SPIRITED bidding battle which ended with a $16,000 price tag for a top quality sire was the highlight of Collandra North Poll Merino's 41st annual ram auction at Tumby Bay on Wednesday.
The 127-kilogram ram was the pick of the 124 quality sheep on offer and attracted significant competition before eventually being secured by Shane and Jack Kelsh of Calca Pastoral, Streaky Bay.
Carrying a 20.6 micron fleece, with a 3.1 standard deviation, 15.1 coefficient of variation and 99.2 per cent comfort factor, the Autumn 2019-drop ram will be the centrepiece of a new nucleus flock according to Mr Kelsh.
"It is an outstanding ram," he said.
"Its confirmation is faultless, it is big and robust, and has really soft, nourishing wool and an even cover."
Mr Kelsh bought another Autumn 2019-drop ram for $4750.
There was consistenly strong competition in the top end of the catalogue, but buying demand weakened later on with the dry conditions endured by the Lawrie family's clients having an impact on the clearance rate.
When the final hammer was knocked, 98 of 124 rams had been sold to a strong average of $2054.
After such an outstanding result in 2019 - where 125 rams were sold to a $2401 average - Collandra North principal Sydney Lawrie described the 2020 sale as a tough one overall.
"The dry times have taken a toll on a lot of our clients, but it was still a positive result given everything and we had a lot of top quality rams there."
Volume buyers included DE&MA Sires, Elliston, buying ten rams to $2600, averaging $1420, and RG&LS Kelsh, Smoky Bay, buying eight rams to $1800, averaging $1538.
BJ&KK Thomas Family Trust, Ceduna, bought seven rams to $3200, averaging $2400, while Glen-Ora Station, Ivanhoe, NSW, bought seven rams to $2600, averaging $1814.
Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall said the top end of the sale was "terrific", with strong competition from both stud and commercial buyers, and the overall ram lineup was of an outstanding quality
"We were just missing a few regular buyers towards the end, with those buyers having a continued dry spell and not wanting rams this year," he said.
"The average weight of the April/May 2019-drops was 112kg and the young Spring drops were 100kg. That's as good as you'll get anywhere, in any Poll Merino lineup.
"The growth, capacity and production was all there and the buyers would have certainly been happy with their purchases."
Elders conducted the sale, with Mr Wetherall wielding the gavel.
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