'Complete package' rams sought after at improved Woodoona sale

The Ballard family returned to Borrika on Thursday to "chase frames" at the Woodoona ram sale.

They paid the top price again of $3000 for a ram that had "a nice mix of size, depth of body and nice white style of wool", said Matt Ballard, Yakkaroo Pastoral Co, Coomandook.

"We are trying to get the meat on our wether lambs when we feedlot them," he said.

Sired by Kamora Park 97, the May-drop ram weighed 100 kilograms and had a 19-micron fleece with 3 standard deviation, 15.9 per cent coefficent of variation and 99.6pc comfort factor.

The Ballards bought two overall, with the other a 19M son of Ridgway Advance 100, averaging $2600.

Their selections will be run with younger ewes from their 800-head Merino flock in early November.

Woodoona stud principal Nick Wood said this was the first offering of sons of KP97 - a Fibre Meat Plus winning ram they bought at the 2023 Adelaide Elite Ram Sale for $20,000. It was a son of Moorundie Park SP36 bought by the Boughens for $60,000 in 2021.

"We had a few of his sons in the sale, featuring attributes of rich, lustrous wool with a good body - the complete package," he said.

Overall, Woodoona sold 42 rams from 59 offered averaging $1421 - a slight increase on the 2024 sale but with the same clearance.

Mr Wood hoped to clear a few more, but realised the difficult seasonal conditions would play a part.

There were 15 registered buyers - mainly local and pastoral interest - with all bar one going home empty handed.

The biggest volume buyers were repeat clients, the White family, Wyndham Props, via Wentworth, NSW, with five to $2800 - the sale's second-highest price - averaging $1680, while Rooke Farming, Borrika, also bought five to $1600, averaging $1300.

Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Andrew Wilson said the rams presented really well, considering the tough season in the Mallee.

"People were able to pick through the catalogue and select the rams they wanted at very good value," he said.