NYOWEE celebrated its 21st annual on-property sale in fine style, selling all 160 lots offered to a top of $9000 to average $2200 at Halbury on Wednesday last week.
The Nyowee stud was established in 1955 by Barrie Michael with this years sale being their first sale trading as Ian & Di Michael with sons Jake and Tate. Barrie is still heavily involved in the Nyowee stud.
The top price ram was at lot 2 selling for $9000 to the Mulloorie stud, Brinkworth and Tintinara.
The ram, PBS-731, weighed 126 kilograms, had an eye muscle depth of 46 millimetres and 6.4mm fat depth. Its wool test figures were 21.7 micron, 3.6 standard deviation,16.6 coefficient of variation and 98.5 per cent comfort factor.
Mulloorie stud principal Paul Meyer said the "upstanding stud sire" appealed for its staple length and purity, while also being "very good on his feet and legs".
After securing Nyowee's top price ram at the Adelaide ram sale for $10,000, Philip Roberts, Goodonga Props, Auburn, operated strongly to secure 11 rams to $5500, averaging $3245.
Mr Roberts has been buying Nyowee rams for 27 years and selects for dual purpose with a good carcase and soft handling free growing well nourished wool.
"Being nearby, the Nyowee sheep suit the environment and do incredibly well for us," he said.
"Nyowee genetics give us very good lambs and wool cut for quantity, quality and yield."
Another long-term client, DM Scott & Co, Hilltown, bought seven rams at the top end, peaking at $5400 to average $3686.
"Nyowee sheep do well in their 450mm rainfall country," Nathan Scott said.
The Scotts shear their wether lambs twice and finish them on stubbles and supplement with feeders, getting them up to 60kg liveweight and selling to JBS.
RELATED READING: Online bidding underpins marathon Bundara Downs ram sale
RELATED READING: Moorundie Park stud sires sell to $11,000
John Lyons, Warooka Pastoral, Cavendish, Vic, has been buying Nyowee rams for six years, after seeing them at a Mid North Merino field day.
His key selection criteria is size, structure and nourishment and he bought 16 rams to $4200 to average $2313 for their 650mm rainfall country.
Warooka Pastoral runs 13,000 breeding ewes, including 3000 Merino/White Suffolk first-cross ewes mated to White Suffolk. Wool cut is paramount. They fleece weigh all of their wethers at their second shearing and the bottom 50 per cent are sold on AuctionsPlus.
They run 4000 wethers that average between 17.6 and 19.2 micron.
After buying two $6000 Nyowee rams at Adelaide, JR Bruce & Co, Riverton, bought six rams to $5800, averaging $4100, at the Halbury sale.
Other volume buyers included WG&EM Bendall, Lake Cargelico, NSW, who bought 22 rams to $1500 to average $1282; Floods Creek Station, Broken Hill, NSW, bought 17 rams to $1500 to average $1329; LN&SM Bury & Sons bought 10 rams to $3400 to average $2020; JR Dickinson & Sons, Nhill, Vic, bought eight rams to $2000 to average $1538; and Will Truscott, Marcollat, bought seven rams to $2400 to average $1911.
Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall opened the sale, saying that Nyowee are to be congratulated on the an exceptional offering of long stapled good woolled rams with good eye muscle area and carcase.
Nutrien auctioneer Leo Redden said "the rams displayed fast growth with good carcase they are simple productive sheep. The continuity from lots 1 to 160 with consistent objective measurements right throughout the catalogue".
Nutrien and Elders were the selling agents. with Nutrien Burra the sale duty agent.
- Start the day with all the big news in agriculture. Sign up here to receive our daily Stock Journal newsletter.