RAMSGATE Merino stud at Tintinara had plenty of positives to take from its sixth annual on-property sale on Tuesday last week with a lift in average of $95 and one of the largest crowds seen at its annual sale.
Progressive stud breeders Jed and Nicole Keller and Craig and Heidi Keller have established a strong following from Mallee and Upper South East clients for their dual-purpose sheep.
In the breakdown, 56 of their 70 May 2013-drops sold for a $1043 average.
There were no spectacular highs with the top price just $1900 twice but the buying momentum continued through the sale, reflecting the evenness of the catalogue.
Ramsgate sold seven more rams in the auction than 2013, but with an extra 10 rams catalogued this year the sale did run out of buyers near the end.
Rod Marsson, Coonalpyn, outlaid $1900 for an AI-bred son of Leahcim 282 - the $38,000 ram which Ramsgate own a semen share in.
The 19.7 micron ram, weighing 100 kilograms, had wool measurements of 3.2 standard deviation, 16.1 coefficient of variation and 99.6 per cent comfort factor.
Dean Pearson, Lakeview, Brinkley, outlaid the same money for a 19.8M ram sired by Leahcim 1545.
The 106kg ram really stood up in the pen.
* Full report in Stock Journal, August 21, 2014 issue.