A NEW benchmark was set at the East Bungaree Merino and Poll Merino ram sale on Tuesday last week, with the Hallett-based stud posting their best-ever sale average.
The 300-ram sale of May/June 2021-drops was run inconjunction with the Collinsville stud, which also offered up 300 rams, with 99 buyers registering for both Elders-run sales.
East Bungaree kicked off the selling, with all 300 rams cleared for their best-ever overall average of $2277 - surpassing their record 2020 sale by $123 a head and a $293 increase on a strong 2021 sale.
In the breakdown, all 108 rams sold in the main auction to $13,000, for a $3197 sale average, while a mini auction of 192 rams averaged $1759, for a combined total of $683,050.
Prior to the sale, stud principal George Millington said it had been "very exciting" to be part of the brand, after buying East Bungaree from the Brooks family in late 2020.
"This year's line-up is an excellent representation of what East Bungaree sheep are all about," he said.
"Genuine, large-framed, no nonsense sheep, which are heavy cutting and survive and thrive in the harshest of environments."
Tony Brooks, Brooks' Merino Services, still actively works with the East Bungaree stud.
The top price East Bungaree ram - a Merino - sold for $13,000 to return clients, the Lawrie family, Collandra Merino stud, Tumby Bay, in a sole purchase.
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Stephen Lawrie said they had seen the ram [offered in lot 8] at East Bungaree's inspection day and found him "pretty handy".
"He stood really well, and his figures matched what we were looking for," he said.
The March-shorn Gladiator son weighed 119 kilograms, had an eye muscle depth of 44 millimetres and 6mm fat depth.
Its 18.5-micron fleece had 3 standard deviation, 16.2 per cent coefficient of variation, 99.8pc comfort factor and 114pc greasy fleece weight.
The top Poll Merino ram sold for $9500 to long-time client Jim Maynard, Kerribee Station, Wentworth, NSW, who liked its "wool cover and square shape".
The March-shorn Ollie son in lot 2, weighed 126kg, with 44EMD and 9mm fat.
Its 21.2M fleece had 3.3SD, 15.6CV, 99.2CF and 118GFW.
"He carried right through the rump very well," Mr Maynard said.
"We haven't bought that [Ollie] bloodline before, so that's why we bought two of them, while the third ram [a Masterbuilt 15 son] had very good wool figures so we thought we shoud get a back-up."
East Bungaree rams do really well in our pastoral country and they're proven for their early-maturing lambs.
- JIM MAYNARD
Mr Maynard, an EB client for 20-plus years, bought three rams in total, averaging $6867, including lot 4 at $7500 - one of the sale's equal second-highest price Polls.
"EB rams do really well in our pastoral country and they're proven for their early-maturing lambs," he said.
The other Poll Merino to make $7500 sold at lot 7 to Grant Family Trust, through Nutrien Geelong.
It was a March-shorn PT son with a 19.6M fleece, with 3.4SD, 17.6CV, 99.3CF and 108GFW.
The April-shorn section of the sale topped at $4200 for another Ollie son in lot 20, bought by DM&VK Gibbs, Loxton, who bought a second April-shorn at $4000.
A number of pastoral clients bought in volume.
The Neyland family, Prill Park, Euston and Cobar, NSW, bought 14 rams in the main sale and 26 in the mini auction, while the Blores from Mundi Mundi Pastoral, Broken Hill, NSW, bought 13 rams in the main sale and 27 rams in the mini auction.
