Gunallo posts record ram sale result

The Schroeder family, who farm at Murrayville, Vic, and Pinnaroo, were "tickled pink" after the 42^nd annual sale, which saw 99 of 100 rams sold to the stud's highest-ever top price and sale average.

The average was a $709 increase on the stud's 2020 sale.

Fifteen rams from 25 offered also sold in a mini auction after the main sale.

"It was pretty stressful being from a border community prior to the sale, making sure clients were able to inspect rams if they needed, but thankfully with the inclusion of AuctionsPlus, it has been good to see nearly all our rams sell across four states," Gunallo stud co-principal Brad Schroeder said.

Forty buyers registered at the sale, plus another 118 logged in online from SA, WA, NSW and Vic.

Thirty buyers picked up rams in the shed, while eight were active online.

Gunallo stud co-principal Ray Schroeder was pleased to see at least a handful of new clients operating among them.

The $14,000 top price ram at lot 31 was bought by loyal client and last year's top price ram buyer Duane Simon, McPiggery, Lameroo, in a sole purchase.

"Its make and shape and has the right wool for our climate," he said.

The March 2020-drop, sired by Gunallo 473 (a son of Moorundie NE08), weighed 112 kilograms and had Australian Sheep Breeding Values of 5 yearling weight, 33.6 yearling clean fleece weight, 14 yearling staple length, and ranked 155.1 on the Merino Production Plus Index and 143.4 on the Dual Purpose Plus Index.

Its 20-micron wool also measured 3.4 standard deviation, 17 coefficient of variation and 99.6 per cent comfort factor.

"It has a nice, gutsy, bold crimping wool that handles any sort of conditions. It will go in our nucleus ram breeding program," Mr Simon said.

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The sale's $11,500 second-highest price ram at lot 4 was off to WA, with Westwood Poll stud, Cascade, also making just the sole purchase through Bill Walker, Classings Ltd, Murray Bridge.

"The Welke family have a good young stud on the go, and had used Gunallo 295 semen previously," Mr Walker said.

"They saw that particular ram on AuctionsPlus and contacted me about it as the stud's classer.

"The ram appealed for its fluid nourishment, great density wool, with a hell of a carcase, matched up with some bloody good ASBVs."

The March 2020-drop twin ram, sired by Leahcim semen sire 2259, had ASBVs of 10.4YWT, 34.7YCFW, 14.6YSL, 0.9 yearling fat, and impressive figures of 184.9MP+ and 182.9DP+.

The 111.5kg ram also had a 19.1M fleece measuring 2.6SD, 14.7CV and 99.8CF.

It was the second year the Schroeders interfaced the sale with AuctionsPlus, a decision that paid off with 36 rams sold online.

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The majority sold to the sale's biggest volume buyer Blairgowrie Trust, Ararat, with their 26 averaging about $1770.

"The Brewis family have a really good, well run, large commercial flock, and they have a been a great Gunallo supporter for a number of years," Ray Schroeder said.

Online bidding from interstate also came from Dubbo, NSW; Lake Bolac, Moliagul and St Arnaud in Vic, and new client Wongan Hills, WA, while many sales were also made in the shed to buyers within the 70-kilometre border bubble.

Dalarossie Pastoral, Drumborg, Vic, paid handsomely for two rams at $7200 and $5000, while new clients GR&FJ Zadow, Karoonda, also bought in the top end of the catalogue, taking home two rams at $8600 and $6000.

Other volume buyers included Longtrail Farms, Parilla, with eight averaging $2800; GD Dabinett & Sons, Parilla, with six averaging $2600; Glencoe Station, Hattah, Vic, with five averaging $1320 and CA&JM Smith, Yanac, Vic, with five averaging $1800.

The sale was conducted by Nutrien and Elders, with Nutrien stud stock's Gordon Wood and Richard Miller the auctioneers.