AN increase in average on a full clearance of 250 White Suffolks left Illoura stud principal Allan Piggott "speechless" after his annual flock ram sale at Moorlands on Thursday.
The $1488 sale average was almost a $300 increase on the 2020 sale, with the top price also rising from $2700 to $3200.
The top price ram sold to long-time vendor Gerald Leach, Fitzpatrick Partners, Walpeup, Vic, bidding through AuctionsPlus, who also bought the sale's second-highest price ram at $3000 and opened the sale strongly paying $2600 for both lots 1 and 2.
The $3200 top price ram at lot 9 was an April 2020-drop weighing 122 kilograms, with -0.1 post-weaning fat and 2.1 post-eye muscle depth.
It was also in the top 5 per cent on body weight (0.6), weaning weight (13.2) and post-weaning weight (20.1); while its Terminal Carcase Production Index (152.8) was in the top 10pc and its Lamb Eating Quality (144.7) was top 20pc.
Fitzpatrick Partners took home five rams in total, averaging $2760.
Last year's equal top price ram buyers, RA Bowmans Partners, Orroroo, also bid strongly for their selections, taking home four averaging $1950, while last year's new volume buyer Murray McFarlane, McFarlane Pastoral, Wellington, through Bruce Creek, returned to buy 20 rams averaging $1435.
Another large volume buyer was West Creek, Langhorne Creek, also with 20 rams averaging $1175, while Tom Allen, Nutrien Jamestown, bid on behalf of Sparks Farming, Jamestown, taking home 12 averaging $1442.
New client Patrick Kerin, Kerin Farms, Kapunda and Sherlock, only learnt of the sale on the day from a neighbour and thought he'd "come for a look".
Impressed by the "well-presented, solid rams with straight backs and legs", he bought 14 during the sale, averaging $1286, with plans to put them over his SAMM ewes run at his nearby Mallee property.
Return client Nathan Todd, NP&LM Todd & Sons, Culburra, bought 11 on the day, averaging $2018, with plans to put them over Merino ewes for prime lamb production, while RN&LA Bald and Sons, Ettrick, bought seven averaging $1743.
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Jachmann Farming, Loxton, bought seven averaging $1543, while Weckert Pty Ltd, Hylands, bought six averaging $1433.
There were 57 potential buyers registered for the sale, which was conducted by Elders, through auctioneer Tom Penna, and Nutrien Livestock, through auctioneer Richard Miller, while five buyers operated online, taking home 18 rams in total.
Mr Piggott said the sale result was "beyond expectation".
"It was good to see the confidence among buyers, with the industry so strong at the moment and expected to remain strong into next year," he said.
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