IMPRESSED by the top quality on display at the Radnor ram sale in Langhorne Creek on Friday, new client Richard Hein, Burdett, bid strongly on the first Poll Merino offered and paid the $3800 sale top price.
Mr Hein said he had seen Radnor genetics at the recent Karoonda & Districts Stud Merino Field Day in Murray Bridge and liked what they had to offer.
"They're all-rounder sheep - big bodied with beautiful white wool and good figures," he said.
"I was chasing rams that were 20 microns or under, as that what the market is looking for these days, and wool with a bit of nourishment."
The top ram in lot 1, sired by Radnor 110 (a Collinsville Imperial 521 son), weighed 102.5 kilograms with a 41-millimetre eye muscle depth and 7mm fat depth, while its 19.5M wool had 3 standard deviation, 15.4 coefficient of variation and 99.8 per cent comfort factor.
Mr Hein bought two rams at the sale, with the other at lot 22 for $1000.
Overall, the Koehler family offered 70 Merino and Poll Merino rams in the main auction, with 65 selling for an average of $1182 - a $128 drop on the 2021 sale.
The main auction Poll Merino rams averaged $1244, while the 12 Merinos averaged $892.
Another 14 or more sold in a mini auction after the sale.
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Radnor stud co-principal Steve Koehler was disappointed in the fall of the sale average, but was happy to clear most of the rams and even picking up a new buyer.
He agreed the top price ram was a "complete sheep - a bale filler expected to produce good wether lambs".
"He had a pure muzzle, was beautiful and square, with a thick white crimpy wool," he said.
A good portion of the rams sold to repeat bulk buyer Richard Anderson, Broken Hill, NSW, who bought 28 in the main auction to $1200, averaging $832, and at least another eight in the mini auction.
Stewartdale, Naracoorte, also bought in bulk, with six to $2400 - the sale's second-highest price - averaging $1633.
The $2400 ram at lot 25, sired by Collinsville Masterbuilt 138, weighed 105kg with a 40EMD and 7fat, while its 19.3M wool had 2.7SD, 14CV and 99.8CF.
The sale, which was interfaced with AuctionsPlus, was conducted by Elders and Nutrien, with Nutrien stud stock's Gordon Wood the auctioneer.
Alisha Fogden
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
