Dual-purpose appeal at Lucernbrae ram sale
A "good, all-rounder" ram has topped the Lucernbrae ram sale at Callington today, bought by long-time client Darren Koopman, Tungkillo.
The Koopmans have been buying at Lucernbrae for about 20 years, as the rams were "good doers" and acclimatised. They bought two rams on the day, averaging $1450.
Mr Koopman said the $1800 top-price ram's wool quality appealed, with "good micron and plenty of fleece weight, but also good body type as well".
"It will suit our Border Leicester first-cross lamb production, which we use out of our Merino ewes," he said.
AI-sired by Forrest Springs, the 102-kilogram ram also measured 9.93 yearling weight and 0.55 yearling eye muscle depth, while recording 140.47 on the Sustainable Merino Index.
Its 19.1-micron wool had 3.2 standard deviation, 16.7 coefficient of variation and 99.4 per cent comfort factor, -1.15 yearling fibre diametre and 13.91 yearling greasy weight.
Lucernbrae stud principal Judy Paech said they chose that Forrest Springs sire as it had good results in the Merino Sire Evaluation.
"We have been trying get more body, condition fat and eye muscle on our rams, which we haven't mulesed since 2007," she said.
"We have the fibre and micron that we want, we are now aiming to get more meat on them."
Overall the stud sold 25 rams from 43 offered, up on last year's clearance, and averaged $968.
The sale's volume buyer was a new client, Jim Rathjen, who bought 11 to $1600 - the sale's second highest price - averaging $1018.
Mr Rathjen runs a flock at Birdwood and Palmer and said he recently bought another 500 ewes, so needed extra rams. He said they looked like "underrated" rams that could stand up in any conditions.
Nutrien studstock's Andrew Wilson said Lucernbrae clients secured the genetics they wanted for great value.
"The ram presented very well, with good data, solid ASBVs and the phenotype to match," he said.
"They also had a slight increase in clearance, which in today's market, is a good result."
Mrs Paech said it was good to clear a few more rams, after expecting it to be a tough sale, and to see two new buyers operating.
