A whopping 300 rams were offered and sold at Leahcim stud's Poll Merino ram auction at Snowtown on Tuesday last week and the achievements kept rolling, after a $24,000 top price was recorded.
The stud had 80 registered bidders that competed strongly for top sires across the catalogue and the $24,000 ram was knocked down at lot 20, to Gunallo and Ridgway studs in the Murray Mallee region.
The full clearance of 300 rams averaged $3402 and stud principal Andrew Michael was "astounded" by the sale's result.
"We have offered 300 rams to meet the demand from clients in the hope we can reduce the sale average but it did not work," he said.
"Since we realised we that we were getting dearer, we wanted to bring the average back a bit.
"We are ecstatic with the result though and it really was a culmination of so much work."
Mr Michael said the beauty of data, was clients' trusted it.
"We had buyers from every state, so we are really happy with that. There was confidence."
The top price ram boasted a high fleece weight and was being chased by a few buyers. The $24,000 top price ram's Australian Sheep Breeding Values were 7.7 post weaning weight, 10.2 yearling weight, 0.8 fat, 1.0 eye muscle depth.
The April 2021-drop ram was by 182185 and its 21.1 staple length was in the top five per cent of the breed.
Its fleece measured 19 micron with 2.3 standard deviation, 12.4 coefficient of variation and 100pc comfort factor.
The ram was bought in partnership between Gunallo and Ridgway studs, and Gunallo's Brad Schroeder said its bone structure and wool figures were a big attraction.
"It certainly has all of the profit drivers backed up with figures," he said.
"There was a lot to like about the ram - it had great bone structure and good physical appearance.
"Its wool cut and staple length figures were impressive."
Mr Schroeder said Leahcim genetics had "raised the bar" at Gunallo.
"The rams have performed in the past and helped to maintain wool cut and staple length which assists with a six-month shearing."
The ram will be used in an artificial insemination program as well as naturally at Gunallo this year, with the sale-topping ram then being used in Ridgway's AI program in 2023.
The $16,000 second-highest price ram was secured by Richard Harkness, Tintinara, and a June-drop that had 4.9 PWWT, 5.4 YWT, 1.0 fat and 2.5 EMD.
Sired by 182295, it also recorded 23.0 clean fleece weight and -1.3 fibre diametre.
The sale volume buyer, Adam Henniker, Paspaley Pastoral, Coolah, NSW, who secured 30 rams to $3500 averaging $2723, had been sourcing Leahcim genetics for about eight years.
Mr Henniker runs about 10,000 ewes and, fertility and growth had been the standout improvements since using the stud's genetics.
"We have been trying to improve growth because half of our ewes are then joined to a crossbred," he said.
Noorong Pastoral Company, NSW, made the final bid on 24 rams to $2400, averaging $1589.
Bono Station, Mildura, bought 14 to $2000, averaging $2000, while Gum Creek Farming, Snowtown, secured nine to $3000, averaging $2555.
The sale was conducted by Nutrien with stud stock auctioneers Gordon Wood and Richard Miller taking the bids.
Vanessa Binks
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
