O'Brien Dohne Merino and Poll Merino rams sell big at Wudinna Showgrounds
Stud and commercial buyers were active in the shed last week, when O'Brien Poll Merino and Dohne Merino rams went under the hammer at the Wudinna Showgrounds.
The Kyancutta-based stud offered a total of 72 rams in the main auction, with 53 headed to new pastures to a top of $5800 and an average of $2086.
In the mini Helmsmann auction, 34 from 76 rams offered sold at a $1067 average and a $1600 top.
Sold at Lot 2, the sale's top price ram was knocked down to second-time clients Nev and Celia Kernick, Field, who started buying from O'Brien last year under the advice of Bill Walker, Classings.
The April 2024-drop Poll Merino ram, sired by Mumblebone 202117, was a trait leader for weight, with Australian Sheep Breeding Values in the top 10 per cent for yearling weight and adult weight, at 11.8 and 10, in addition to the top 20pc for post-weaning weight at 8.1.
It also had an early breech wrinkle value of -1.3 which is in the top 5pc of the breed.
"We loved the figures on this ram," Mrs Kernick said.
"We have a high focus on growth rate, we've been improving our wool and we find that Darren and Jodie's breeding objectives are very much in line with what we want to achieve commercially.
"We use Bill Walker and he suggested checking out O'Brien and we realised they're just doing some fantastic work with Dohnes and Merinos and being really honest about it.
"We were using a pure Dohne stud previously, but we felt our wool was slipping a bit too much and we needed to inject some vigour into it which is what O'Brien rams have done for us."
The Kernick family picked up a further five rams at the sale, averaging $2266.
Mrs Kernick said the rams would be used for a five week joining starting at the end of October, with lambs on the ground in March.
Other volume buyers included Skyden Farms, Kyancutta, with six rams to a $1100 average, ST&BR Pedler, Tumby Bay, with six averaging $1266, Omaroo Ag, Kyancutta, with six averaging $1500, PT&AV Heath and Sons, Kyancutta, with six for $1000 a head and Kenny Pastoral, Elliston, with six for a $1333 average.
Studs Sohnic Merinos, Marnoo East, Vic, and Calcookara, Cowell, both purchased single rams in the sale, which O'Brien stud principal Darren O'Brien says helps the stud improve.
"You want to see your rams perform under scrutiny," he said.
"That's what you get when you have other studs operating, so it's good to see how they get scrutinised in other conditions."
Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Gordon Wood said the stud's reputation continued to grow with stud and commercial clients.
"The reputation of these sheep and the work Darren and Jodie put into the stud is spreading which is great to see," he said.
"Their sale was very solid - the buyers here are very astute, very well-educated around data and what performance they're looking for on their sheep.
"It's not uncommon to see commercial buyers happy to bid against studs to get the rams they want because they suit their programs."
