Top rams head to Hallett, Wyalkatchem at Calcookara Poll Merino auction
Calcookara's average held its own against last year's auction at the stud's annual Poll Merino ram sale on Thursday, where 90 rams were on offer.
Of the 90 animals offered, 88 were sold to a top of $4200 twice and an average of $1754, down just $17 on the 2024 sale.
Lots 10, 11 and 26 were all knocked down for the top price at the Cowell stud, with the first headed to the Mid North, and the other two headed west to Prospect Thoroughbred and Pastoral, Wyalkatchem, WA.
Nutrien auctioneer Ben Dickenson said the top rams were all stud quality sires that would breed on well in either a commercial or stud operation.
"Calcookara breed free-growing sires with unbeatable wool, really stylish long staples," he said.
"Those top rams had all of those traits and more, but to sell 88 from 90 rams is a testament to the depth of the catalogue at Calcookara.
"Everyone's accustomed to the quality they offer and the investment they put into their stud."
Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall said Calcookara's data made the sale a can't miss for many buyers.
"Their genetics are performing in varying environments and that shows with the spread of buyers this year," he said.
"Buyers can see the quality of the ram in front of them but then they have the data to back it up."
Lot 10, sold to Kerri and Len Hill, Hallett, was a 85kg single-born ram sired by CAL115 a son of Leahcim 101.
It was a trait leader for yearling staple length at 17 in the top 20 per cent of the country and had Australian Sheep Breeding Values of 22 for yearling clean fleece weight, 8.7 for yearling weight and 0.29 for yearling fat.
Its wool scores were 17.8 for micron, 13.8 for coefficient of variation, 2.5 for standard deviation and 99.8 for comfort factor.
Mrs Hill said her husband picked out the ram due its dual-purpose traits.
"Len's keen on a bare breech, obviously a clean face and good wool with a structure to match," she said.
"They'll be going into our main stud mob of ewes at Hallett."
Lot 11 was also a trait leader for YSL in the top 20pc with an ASBV of 18.6 in addition to a top 20pc ASBV of 29 for YCFW.
The ram, sired by Calcookara 349 92kg and carried a fleece with 17.7 micron, 14.5 CV, 2.6 SD and 99.6pc CF.
Lot 27, sired by Roseville Park 770, was in the top 5pc for YWT at 13.4 and the top 20pc for YCFW at 25.3, it had other ASBVs of 10.5 for YSL, 1.95 for yearling eye muscle depth and 0.93 for YFAT.
The 88kg ram carried a fleece with 18.8 micron, 16.6 CV, 3.1 SD and 99.2pc CF.
Stud principal Brenton Smith said the sale result was pleasing.
"Leading into it I was a little bit nervous given the drought and ewe numbers being down," he said.
"But we actually had six new clients this year after having a really good showing at Keith earlier in the year.
"Our top rams are all going into programs where they'll go on to breed rams for the buyers which we're always happy to see.
"Looking ahead, we're eyeing off a few possible stud sires but they have to be right sheep - we have always had great wools but now we want to focus on combining that with carcase traits and we don't want to compromise our wool to get those."
