There was plenty to smile about at Calcookara Poll Merino stud's on-property sale on Thursday, with the Cowell stud enjoying an improved clearance, top price and average compared to last year's sale result.
Ninety rams were offered - five more than last year - with a full clearance achieved, topping at $7400 and averaging $2134.
Topping the sale was lot 6, a twin ram weighing 102 kilograms and carrying a 17.9 micron fleece, with a standard deviation of 2.8, a coefficient of variation of 15.5 and a 99.6 comfort factor.
The top sire also had a post-weaning greasy fleece weight of 140 per cent, post weaning eye muscle depth of 38 millimetres and a post weaning fat depth of 4.1mm.
We had a lot of positive comments about the quality of the rams right through the catalogue.
- BRENTON SMITH
Bought by repeat clients Ian and Dianne Haggerty, Prospect Pastoral Company, Wyalkatchem, WA - who also bought one other ram at $1200 - Calcookara stud principal Brenton Smith had thought before the sale that the ram would "sell strongly".
"He was a deep-bodied ram with a very square behind, with great figures and very stylish crimpy white wool," Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith said he was "extremely pleased" with the sale result, after initially being nervous due to the state of the wool market.
"We're really happy, we had nine new buyers this year, and it was our first time with AuctionsPlus - a lot of our regular buyers had gone on there to do a bit of a preselection as well," he said.
"We seem to be gaining a little bit of new interest each year, we want to offer a few more each year, but they have to have great quality, we're not just going to put any old rams in the line-up.
"We had a lot of positive comments about the quality of the rams right through the catalogue."
The first sons of Calcookara 170400 were also offered this year, with 18 rams in the line-up bred from the sire. Calcookara 170400 had "great carcase attributes" according to Mr Smith, and performed very well in the 2019-20 SA Merino Sire Evaluation Trial.
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A number of volume buyers helped to buoy the sale, with new client HIllsea Station, Sheringa, taking home eight rams, reaching a top price of $2000 twice, and averaging $1400.
DB & JS Hunt, Mundulla, bought six rams to $3600, averaging $2600, while five rams were knocked down to FJ&YJ Puckeridge, Wangary, topping at $2000 and averaging $1680.
Other volume buyers included NV&EJ Byerlee, Orroroo, who bought five rams to $2000 averaging $1600, and Middlecamp, Cowell, which also secured five sires, topping at $1200, and averaging $880.
The sale was conducted by Elders and Nutrien, with Elders' Tony Wetherall and Nutrien's Gordon Wood sharing the auctioneering duties.
Mr Wetherall said it was a "strong and solid" sale.
"Calcookara had a terrific line-up of rams, they were very even, the growth and wool quality was exceptional right throughout the catalogue," he said.
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Claire Harris
Journalist at Stock Journal. Hailing from South East Queensland, Claire moved to SA at the start of 2019. She is passionate about agriculture, cooking, sport, and line dancing, and loves a good long road trip.
Journalist at Stock Journal. Hailing from South East Queensland, Claire moved to SA at the start of 2019. She is passionate about agriculture, cooking, sport, and line dancing, and loves a good long road trip.
