COMPETITION from repeat
buyers and new bidders underpinned the success of Hamilton Run Poll Merino, Dohne and White Suffolk stud’s annual on-property sale on Tuesday last week, with a top price of $4600 for the Poll Merinos.
Stud principals Greg Andrews and Nicole Luckraft sold 103 of 112 Poll Merinos on offer for an average of $1729 and 64 of 72 Dohne rams for a $1363 average. For the first time, 44 White Suffolk rams were also offered, with 39 selling to $1100.
“It was good to see a mix of repeat and new clients at the sale and I believe the rams represented good value for money for buyers,” Mr Andrews said.
In a quality line-up of Poll Merino sires – all station- bred and averaging 95 kilograms bodyweight – Kimba farmer Colin Davey bought the top price ram for $4600.
Sired by HR949, the June 2015-drop ram had an 18.4 micron fleece with 2.5 standard deviation, 13.6 coefficient of variation and 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
Running a mixed farming operation, Mr Davey aims to buy several new breeding rams each year for flock improvement, selecting for bright, white, well-nourished wool on a big frame.
“We live in a dry climate, and it helps to keep the dirt out if you have some nourishment in the wool,” he said.
Sale regulars, the Carn family, Carn Nominees, Quorn, were the volume buyers in the Poll Merinos, taking 15 rams to $3100, averaging $1560.
Spalding farmers Peter and Scott Roberts, Narrioota, bought nine rams to $2100, while Erewhon Pastoral Co, Naracoorte, took six to $3800, averaging $2666. Leo and Karen Whillas, Tootinella, Port Lincoln, paid the sale top of $3200 in the Dohne ram selection for a 14-month-old twin ram which ranked 149.1 on the Australian Sheep Breeding Values Dohne index. They also bought two other Dohne rams for $2000 and $1600.
The top volume buyer was Avondale Station, via Broken Hill, NSW, with 14 Dohnes averaging $785.
Landmark auctioneer and stud stock manager Gordon Wood praised the Poll Merinos’ “enormous” doing ability and the Dohnes’ strong index rankings.
Elders and Landmark were joint selling agents.