Return buyers bid strongly on top-end Radnor rams
Repeat buyers going hard on their top picks have helped increase the sale average at the Radnor Poll Merino on-property ram sale at Langhorne Creek on Friday.
South East clients Lock-Haven made sure of their four purchases, which included the top price ram at $3400 and second-highest price ram at $3200.
The top ram, sired by Radnor Doodae at lot 3 weighed 92.5 kilograms, had an eye muscle depth of 35.5 millimetres and 7 carcase fat.
It had 19.7-micron wool with 3 standard deviation, 15.3 coefficient of variation, 99.7 per cent comfort factor and a fleece weight of 100pc.
Brody Lock, Mundulla, said they liked the "all-rounder" dual-purpose ram for its body structure and quality wool.
"Its nice, long body was pretty sound, while its wool was nicely stapled, and felt good," he said.
"They will all get joined together with our best replacement ewes, so we like to buy four rams that match together."
Their four rams averaged $2650.
Radnor co-principal Steve Koehler said the top ram was a true home-bred sire, with three generations of ex-Crows-named sires behind it, including Doodae, then Greenwood (who was reserve champion in three major shows), Walsh, and then an Collinsville AI sire.
"He is a very barrelly, meaty sheep, featuring plenty of eye muscle and long stapled, crimpy, white wool - all bases covered as a Merino sheep," he said.
Overall, the Koehler family sold 24 rams from the 52 offered, averaging $1420 - a $180 increase on last year's sale.
The sale's volume buyer was Stewartdale, Naracoorte, who bought 11 rams to $1800, averaging $1173.
Andrew Stewart said they were chasing "good wool, feet and frame", with the rams bound for their self-replacing Merino flock.
Elders SA studstock marketing manager Tom Penna said the sheep were well-presented, with the rams getting "plainer in the body, wider and deeper, with very good wools, with definition and whiteness".
"Competition was strong on the really good ones. Most buyers here today got terrific value," he said.
