AFTER several years of very strong ram sales at Woolumbool the pendulum swung back in favour of buyers at the stud's 35th annual on-property auction on Wednesday last week with some exceptional value for money.
Stud principals Phil, Sharon, Aaron and Sally Clothier sold 213 of 278 rams for a $1359 average.
In the breakdown 85 of 96 Poll Dorsets averaged $1435, 77 of 104 White Suffolks averaged $1361 and 51 of 78 Multi-Meat maternal composites averaged $1227.
Guest vendors Lucindale Area School sold one of their three rams for $1000.
Several big orders for 10 rams or more helped save the day but there were still 46 more rams passed in than 2021.
There were about 10 few registered bidders and AuctionsPlus, which had been so strong in 2021, did not fire a bid.
The bidding action was no reflection of the quality of the sheep on offer with highlighted boxes denoting many rams in the top 10 per cent and 20pc for LAMBPLAN traits from lots 1 to 282.
The highest priced Poll Dorset at lot 1- in the elite Poll Dorset offering- sold to the Davidson family, Morton stud, Lucindale, for $2400.
GW&CL Clothier and Sons, Woolumbool, paid the $3200 sale high for lot 8, a spring drop in the elite White Suffolk offering.
The ram had multiple traits in the top 10pc on LAMBPLAN including an exceptional eye muscle depth of 3.5 and also had a good worm egg count of -51.3
It was one of eight rams the Clothiers bought.
"We pick a random stud every year or so to make a comparison and we haven't found anything that comes close to the figures here at Woolumbool," buyer Sam Clothier said.
Dugald McLachlan, Nangwarry Pastoral Company, Nangwarry, dominated the bidding taking home six Poll Dorsets to $18000 multiple times, 16 White Suffolks also to $1800 and 13 Multi-Meats to a $1400 high twice.
Of these 35 rams Nangwarry bought 22 were at the $1000 base price.
Moorhouse Pty Ltd, Bool Lagoon, were successful on 20 Poll Dorsets for a $1140 average and five Multi-Meats for a $1120 average.
Elders and Nutrien conducted the sale with Ronnie Dix and Gordon Wood the auctioneers struggling to be heard above the heavy rain on the roof for much of the three and a half hour sale.
Mr Wood said the sale was impacted by a few regulars not being there, including one long-time client who has moved solely into cattle, but those who bought enjoyed "tremendous value".
He said the rams which were younger than many offerings had great growth for age.
"One of the things you always get at Woolumbool is commercial relevance," he said.
"You won't see rams in fat show condition but rams ready to go out and do a job and couple that with very good performance data, particularly lean eating quality and worm egg counts for worm resistance."
