SALE SUMMARY
2020 2019
Offered 159 140
Sold 142 131
Top $6400 $6400
Av $1876 $2030
IT was a sombre occasion at Kelvale Poll Merino stud's annual ram sale at Keith last Thursday, with the passing of stud founder David Kellock just days earlier.
But his lasting legacy was seen in the many long-time clients at the sale and the depth of breeding in the sheep.
They sold from the Eyre Peninsula to pastoral areas and into the South East, as well as Tas buyers operating on AuctionsPlus.
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Current stud principals, David's son and daughter-in-law, Stephen and Peta Kellock were rewarded with 142 of 159 of the May/June 2019-drop rams selling to a $6400 high - matching 2019's top price - and averaging $1876.
The stud increased its offering to give buyers a greater choice and while the average was back $154 on 2019's result, an extra 11 rams were sold.
Lot 2, an 18.5 micron ram set the early pace of the sale, knocked down to Kellock Enterprises, Farrell Flat, for $6000.
Then at lot 6, Leon Veitch and his daughter Samantha, Veitch Ag, Warramboo, threw in the winning bid of $6400 for a 19.3M ram by homebred sire Kelvale 004.
Like many in the sale the sale topper had a yearling staple length in the top 10pc of ASBV's at 23.8 and good balance of other , as well as an actual staple length of 65mm from four months growth.
The lot 6 ram's other fleece tests included a standard deviation of 3.5, 18.7 per cent coefficient of variation and 99.2pc comfort factor.
The sale topper was one of Veitch Ag's five buys for a $3320 average.
Four of the 30 registered bidders each put together double digit numbers of rams led by Phillips Trading Trust, Minnipa, which took home 15 rams to $2400, averaging $1193.
Two pastoral orders helped strengthen the clearance with JA Rowe & Sons, Orroroo, securing 13 rams to $1400 twice for a $977 average, while Samsons Well, Morgan, found 13 rams at the $700 base price.
Also heading to the Eyre Peninsula, AT&KM Watson, Wirrulla, took home 11 rams to a $1600 high twice, averaging $1064.
The Kellocks also made a significant sale of one of their stud reserves, Kelvale 191268, for $10,000 to Boothby Downs Partners, Tintinara.
Stephen was very pleased with the strong support from their loyal clients willing to pay "good money for the good ones".
He said the SA-Vic hard border closure may have "taken some shine" off though with no clients able to travel from Vic,a growth area for the stud.
Stephen was also excited that the sheep were matching their ASBVs.
"The staple length has always been there but this year we have really improved the wool qualities, getting more nourishment and whiter wools," he said.
If anyone is looking to shear twice a year I don't know why they wouldn't be here today.
- Richard Miller
Nutrien Ag Solutions stud stock auctioneer Richard Miller said it was a credit to the stud that they were able to present the paddock-run rams so well and praised the consistency of the offering for their structure as well as wool and meat traits.
"If anyone is looking to shear twice a year I don't know why they wouldn't be here today, the staple length was so consistent with 80pc of the sheep in the shed in the top 10pc of the breed on ASBVs and some would have been in the top 1pc," he said.
"The wools are stamped as bold, deep crimping, bright white wools."
Nutrien Ag Solutions Keith conducted the sale.
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