FOR the second time in three years, the top-price ram from Kiandra Poll Merino's on-property auction is heading to the Eyre Peninsula, following the stud's 25th annual ram sale on Thursday last week at Senior, north of Bordertown.
Competition was strong among the 21 registered bidders at the sale, which was interfaced with AuctionsPlus, with 10 rams making $3200 or more.
Overall, vendors Ryan and Sarah Kluska sold 76 rams from 80 rams offered, averaging $1761.
While the average was down on the 2019 result of $1905, the clearance rate easily eclipsed last year's sale, which only had 62 rams clear from 80 offered.
This year's top price ram at $6300 was knocked down at lot 9 to Wheare Holdings, Goldmine Hill Farms, Lock, who also purchased the sale-topper at Kiandra's 2018 auction.
With a yearling weight figure of 8.9 and a yearling clean fleece weight percentage of 26.8, the July 2019-drop ram was placed in the top 20 per cent of MerinoSelect.
Sired by Kiandra 160793, it also had figures of 5.3 post-weaning weight and 11.5 yearling staple length.
The $4200 second-highest price ram was purchased at lot 54 by Karwin Nominees, Field, through their representative from Spence Dix & Co.
The April 2019-drop, born a triplet, had figures of 7.7PWWT, 10.3YWT and a 25.5YCFWT.
EP clients were also prominent among the volume buyers, with SJ&WL Brougham, Streaky Bay, purchasing 13 rams for an $815 average.
Mr Kluska was pleased to see a few new faces among the crowd, which included the Broughams.
Mr Kluska once farmed on the EP, where Kiandra was founded, and said interest continued to grow.
"We have existing clients over there and that's why we have such a strong following on the EP," he said.
"We also had a lot of rams in the top 10 per cent of Australia for ASBVs with really strong data in post-weaning weight, positive eye muscle and fat and high fleece weights with low micron, which our clients are after."
Quality Livestock auctioneer David Whittenbury praised this year's sale rams, pointing to their "true commercial value".
"The competition throughout the sale shows the confidence of those who are on the Kiandra bloodline," he said.
"(Kiandra rams) have free-growing wools on deep-bodied, very correct sheep with excellent ASBVs.
"The sheep just keep getting better and better, with figures and phenotype complementing each other year-on-year."
Quality Livestock conducted the sale.
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