Several big volume orders underpinned Kelvale Poll Merino stud's annual on-property sale last Thursday, ensuring a total clearance and jump in average of nearly $400.
Bidding was heated in the first few aisles of the sale with plenty of rams selling in the $3000- $5000 but in the latter parts of the main auction prices settled into the $800 to $1400 range, offering some great value for money.
In the breakdown, all 160 of the May and June 2020 drop rams sold to $6500 and achieved a new stud average of $2260.
The catalogue comprised rams with some exceptional Australian Sheep Breeding Values, especially staple length where there were just three rams outside the top 20 per cent for the trait.
This focus has enabled most of the stud's clients to reap the rewards of shearing twice a year.
Ivan and Daryl Frahn, Mypolonga, paid the top money to secure lot 4 which was ranked even higher for staple length- in the top 5 percent with an outstanding ASBV of 26.27.
The 20.6 micron ram also had an outstanding raw data staple length of 80mm from four months of wool growth and also ranked in the top 5 percent of MERINO SELECT for eye muscle depth and top 20 per cent for yearling fleece weight.
The sale topper's other fleece measurements included a standard deviation of 2.8, coefficient of variation of 13.7 and comfort factor of 99.2 per cent.
The Frahns who have been buying from the stud for many years said their new sire stood out both for its figures but also its "square hindquarter and depth of body".
They also outlaid $5800 for lot 6, a 19.5M ram with a greasy fleece weight 41 per cent higher than the stud's flock average.
Both were sons of Kelvale 170004, a son of Baderloo 171, who bred many rams in the catalogue.
Underbidder on the sale topper, Hyfield Pastoral, Keith, secured lot 5, a 19.1M ram with a DP+ index of 165.21 for $5000, among their four buys.
The Eyre Peninsula was again strong with the stud continuing its annual ritual of flying in a planeload of their clients, but in a sign of the versatility of the Kelvale wools there were also some lots sold into high rainfall Tasmania.
Formosa Estate, Cressy, Tas, secured five rams to $5200, averaging $4040.
The sale's volume buyer was Nicolai Farming, Keith, who were never far from the bidding action, averaging $1579 for their 24 rams and paying up to $2400.
Nicolai Farming added another 14 rams to their tally from the mini auction.
Another strong supporter of the sale was AS&SJ Lowe, Mundulla, who earlier in the year became the first Merino breeders to win the Mundulla Prime Lamb Competition in its 13-year history, with their Kelvale blood lambs.
The Lowes bought 19 top-end rams to $3200, averaging $2163.
There was also a total clearance of 50 rams in the mini auction and while the upset price was just $500 bidding on all except six of the rams soared well past this mark.
Long-time clients Ashley and Scott Williams, Greenwood Park, Auburn, bought 32 of these rams.
They also secured 14 rams in the main auction to $5400, averaging $2357 for these.
"We have been shearing twice a year for quite a few years and they give us lots of lambs," Ashley said.
Kelvale stud principal Stephen Kellock described it as a "fantastic sale".
"I knew there were a couple of guys here that needed numbers so the clearance would be good but I was hoping that the sale didn't balloon too far in prices," he said.
"I really enjoyed that everyone had an option - they weren't high prices but they were consistent all the way through."
Mr Kellock was pleased with the progress of their wool quality in the past 12 months and said the wool cut , muscle and fat ASBV figures were following along well.
Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Leo Redden said the rams matched the ASBV data displayed on the cards above the pens which gave buyers great confidence to bid up.
Fellow Nutrien auctioneer Richard Miller agreed on the consistency and predictability of the genetics.
"You could have come here today, like a couple of clients we did see, needing 40 or 50 rams and you could buy with confidence from lot 1 all the way lot 200," he said.
"When you get them home the consistency of what you see for a ram that might have cost a quarter of what other rams cost is a credit to the Kelvale sheep."
Nutrien Keith conducted the sale.
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