^ Elders Stud Stock Manager Tom Penna and Nutrien’s Stud Auctioneer Leo Redden, with Mernowie Stud Principals David and Ian Rowett, with Alex Horne and Leonie Mills Principals of Morely Stud from Cleve SA, with the top Price Ram.
Despite offering 30 per cent more rams than last year, Mernowie still achieved full clearance, and an increase in top price at its 35th on-property sale at Marrabel on Wednesday last week.
All 131 Poll Merino rams sold – 28 more than 2021 – to a top of $10,500 and average $2058. The sale got off to a strong start with Lot 1, tag 753, topping the sale, selling to Leonie Mills, Morley stud, Cleve.
The ram weighed 118 kilograms with 18.4 micron and 99.9 per cent comfort factor wool. Its other figures included Australian Breeding Values of 9.5 for yearling weight, yearling clean fleece weight 29, yearling eye muscle depth 0 and yearling fat -0.5.
Ms Mills had seen the ram twice previously on a private inspection and again on display at Classing’s Classic and decided it was the ram for the Morley stud.
“He was a really well built ram with an impact – and well nourished and lustrous wool that I think will really come through in his progeny,” she said.
Morley stud had previously paid the top price for a ram at Mernowie for tag 512, which had been the Fibre Meat class winner at the Royal Adelaide Show.
“Mernowie genetics work well for us so it was good to come back,” Ms Mills said. Underbidder was repeat client Andriske Farms, which purchased the 2021 sale topper for $8800.
Andriske Farms, which has been buying from Mernowie rams since 1983, secured six rams to average $4167, including the second top priced ram Lot 5, tag 1033, for $8500.
Tag 1033 had fleece figures of 18.3M and 99.7CF with 8.2YWT, 28.7YCFW, 0.2YEMD and – 0.4Yfat.
Wayne and Brendan Groves, Booleroo Centre, always buy at the top end and secured five rams to $6400 for Lot 2, averaging $4280.
Major volume buyer was Grant Burge, Burge Estates, Tanunda, with 26 rams for an average of $1596.
Darren and Reuben Solly, Yednalue Props, Hawker, who have been buying from Mernowie for 10 years, bought 13 rams.
Yednalue are building numbers back up after years of drought when they had stock on agistment from Packsaddle, NSW, to Langhorne Creek.
“Mernowie genetics do well in our pastoral setting – they have good wool on plain bodied easy care sheep,” Reuben said.
“They are backed with good ASBVs, which we use to help with our selection, paying attention to clean fleece weight, staple length and body weight.”
Mingabinna Pastoral Trust bought a total of 12 rams for an $1800 average and SARDI Turretfield bought seven rams, averaging $2300.
Rams sold into many different climates from high rainfall Barossa, Murray Mallee, South East and pastoral areas.
There were four sold in the mini auction to a top of $1600 twice.
Mernowie principal David Rowett said he was pleased with the clearance, particularly with the additional rams.
He said the sale rams had a good balance of figures with an average micron of 17.4 while maintaining high fleece weights, with 81pc of catalogue above 20 for YCFW.
“Early growth has always been a priority with this years sale team averaging 7.5 for yearling weight,” he said.
He said, while classing client’s ewe hoggets this year, he had seen an excellent depth of quality and the width of hoggets right through the sheep.
Auctioneering duties were shared by Elders’ Tom Penna and Nutriens’ Leo Redden.
“The carcase and wool traits are really coming together here at Mernowie, with a high heritability data set producing traceable dual-purpose genetics,” Mr Redden said.