An exceptional Poll Merino ram from Moorundie stud, Keith, has smashed SA's on-property sale record making an astonishing $58,000.
With the stud choosing to offer all of its top rams on-property for the first time rather than reserving a few for the upcoming Adelaide Merino ram sale, buyers flocked to the stud's 10th annual ram sale on Tuesday.
Stud principals Geoff and Bernadette Davidson were "over the moon" with the result and said the AI-bred son of Glenlea Park 180030 ( a grandson of Moordunie NE73 who has bred so well for them) was the best they had ever offered on-property for its meat and wool traits.
"We have been pushing really hard to get more muscle and fat and better structure in our sheep, this fella had a 50 millimetre eye muscle, 11mm fat and is a real corrector in his structure," Mr Davidson said.
"I think many can imagine this sheep breeding flock rams that perform in all environments with the wool standing up in the high rainfall areas and also keeping the dust out."
Mr Davidson said it was very humbling to see many top judges from studs across Australia that he respected show interest in their sheep.
He believed offering all their sale rams on-property this year had been a success.
"We thought it would be great for our commercial clients to see the stud ones that do so well but people that are looking to buy stud rams could work through our list and get a good idea on the types and the families they were purchasing," he said.
Wes and Jacqui Daniell, White River stud, Minnipa and Poochera, outlasted some frenzied bidding to secure the lot 4 ram, NE73061, impressed by its scale, conformation, purity of muzzle, wool quality and carcase scans.
"He is just hard to fault, he stands so well on his feet and is such a plain-bodied ram but he has such long stapled wool on him with really good wool tests," he said.
The ram's other wool measurements included a standard deviation of 3.1, coefficient of variation of 16.2 per cent and comfort factor of 99.5pc.
White River will have semen collected in the ram and available for sale and eventually plan on putting him out with some of their top ewes in November.
"We are really excited to see what he breeds us," Mr Daniell said.
Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall agreed the 19.1 ram was a "stand out", weighing 138.5 kilograms at 16 months of age.
"You know what you are going to get, he is big, he is well-grown, a beautiful shape, beautiful outlook and a terrific stud wool," he said.
Pushing the Daniells all the way were Colin and Wade Boughen, Kamora Park, Sandalwood, who were successful on lot 6, paying $22,000 for an ET bred ram sired by NE 073.
This was the sale's second highest price.
In a huge day for the Davidsons they notched up a total clearance of their 160 rams for a $4270 average- a new state Merino on-property record average.
Glenlea Park, Pinnaroo, briefly held the record when less than a fortnight ago 161 of 165 rams topped at $25,000 and averaged $3567.
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