Clover Downs hosted its fifth annual Dohne Merino ram sale at Barabba on Wednesday, supported by a few high purchasing regular buyers from the South East through to Broken Hill, NSW.
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Of the 60 Dohne rams offered, 48 were sold to a top of $1800 and an average of $1029.
The top price ram of the day was Lot 18, sired by FV204663 and weighing in at 102 kilograms.
The ram boasted meat figures of 4.2 post-weaning weight, 0.62 eye muscle depth, 0.08 Pfat, 17.1 yearling clean fleece weight and a Dohne index of 141.09.
He was snapped up by TJ&CR Hyde, Paruna, for $1800.
Mr Hyde appreciated Lot 18's clean fleece weight and lack of wrinkles, praising the Dohne breed for being "easy combing sheep".
He has run Dohne rams for about seven years, buying from Clover Downs for the past four.
He said in comparison with his Merino mob, the Dohne sheeps reached sale weight faster, and made "excellent mothers" with a lambing percentage of 111 per cent in a mob of 1300.
TJ&CR Hyde was also the sales top volume buyer, taking home 21 rams for an average of about $1000.
Nutrien Gawler's Peter Marschall described Lot 18 as a "very well structured, deep and muscled ram with a massive clean fleece weight number".
Despite uncertainties regarding the present market, buyers were willing to "pay for the quality that Clover Downs
provides", he said.
Clover Downs has a strong focus on producing "solid carcase and fertility" while maintaining the "wool traits of lower micron true Merino wool", says Georgia Mattschoss.
She was happy with the "clearance rate and value buying" for their clients.
"Overall we were happy with our sale, taking in to consideration the declining market and with our clients dealing with the current market and uncertainty of where this will continue to go in the future," Mrs Mattschoss said.
The sale's other volume buyer was Avondale Station from Broken Hill, totaling 11 rams.
Nutrien Gawler conducted the sale with Gordon Wood the auctioneer.
