A standout ram from day dot leads the way at Nantoura Poll Merino sale
A "standout from day dot" was one of the highlights of a solid ram sale for Nantoura Poll Merinos on the Eyre Peninsula last Tuesday.
The Wharminda stud sold 54 of the 66 rams offered, to a top of $4000 and average of $1764.
Stud principal Chris Prime said he was pleased with the overall outcome, which, like many. had been impacted by the dry conditions of the past 18 months.
In last year's sale, 81 of 95 rams sold to a $5200 top and $1735 average.
"Obviously seasonal conditions play a fair part in how everyone's feeling," Mr Prime said.
"The sheep markets got good value, but the overall feeling is still a bit reserved given out of the last twelve months we've had ten or eleven of them quite dry."
Despite this, Mr Prime remained upbeat.
"I was happy with the number of people that turned up, and we had a few new guys turn up to have a look," he said.
"At the end of the day, if everyone walks away with what they needed and are happy, then I'm happy."
The $4000 top-priced ram came at Lot 7 and was secured by SD&KJ Masters, Wharminda.
The standout ram was sired by Ramsgate-220090 and had Australian Sheep Breeding Values of 8.3 for post weaning weight, an 11.6 yearling weight, 0.7 yearling eye muscle depth, -0.3 yearling fat, 22.5 yearling clean fleece weight, -0.8 yearling fibre diameter, 12.6 yearling staple length, and -0.6 breech wrinkle.
Mr Prime described him as "a standout from day dot".
Buyer Scott Masters said it was the ram's structure and growth that caught his eye.
"The length and width of the body, with it having a high yearling weight as well, stood out," he said.
Mr Masters, who has been buying from Nantoura for six years, said he hoped the ram would boost growth rates in his flock.
He spoke highly of the stud's genetics and breeding direction.
"I want to be able to get lambs off quicker," he said.
He spoke highly of the Studs genetics and breeding direction.
"I've been following (Nantoura) for a while, originally chasing them for their high staple length," he said.
"They've gone into more of a bodied sheep as well, so (I) keep going back for the style of sheep they're breeding."
Another highlight was Lot 5, knocked down to Bill Walker, on behalf of Westwood Poll Merinos, WA, for $3500.
This ram, sired by Nantoura-210076, had figures of 7.4 on PWT, 11.3 YWT, 1.1 YEMD, 0.4 YFAT, 19.1 YCFW, -1.3 YFD, 21.4 YSL, and -1.1 EBWR.
Mr Prime described him as having exceptional wool, with very bold crimping, "an absolute barrel of a ram".
Volume buyer ER&BR Millard, Wharminda, secured seven rams to a top of $2000, continuing their support of the stud since its inception.
Bloodlines from Ramsgate Poll were well represented in the catalogue, with Ramsgate-220090, one of the top-priced sires in 2023, having a notable influence across the offering.
Mr Prime said Nantoura continues to focus its breeding on long, broad-crimping staples suited to six and eight-month shearing intervals, while maintaining finer micron wool on plainer-bodied, fast-growing sheep.
"Most of our clients are looking for staple length to work with that shorter time between shearings," he said.
"They want that as well as growth so they can turn their lambs off (quickly)."
EP Livestock auctioneer Ben Dohnt said the sale was a strong result given the season.
"Chris was very realistic going into it and the sale far exceeded his expectations," he said.
"There wasn't a drop off in quality all the way through the shed.
"There were a lot of sheep on the dual-purpose side, with a real free flowing, open wool type.
"Chris's red meat stats were also a feature, with good eye muscle, fat, weaning and yearling weights as well."
