Trigger Vale notches up stud record as buyers chase growth, fat and muscle

Interstate buyers were strong during Trigger Vale Poll Merino and White Suffolk ram sale on September 5, where the Lockhart stud notched up a sale record.

The current high lamb prices in the market injected extra confidence into the sale shed, with buyers chasing high-growth rams with fat and muscle.

At the fall of the hammer, all 210 Poll Merino rams sold to a stud record of $25,000 to average $3375 while 90 of 96 White Suffolk rams sold to $3200 to average $1617.

The top-priced ram was Trigger Vale 667, which sold for $25,000 to Kurra-Wirra Merino stud, Harrow, Victoria, in a syndicate with semen shares to Ella Matta stud, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, and Ejanding Merino and Poll Merino stud, Dowerin, Western Australia.

The May-drop Poll Merino ram, by TV200081, ranked in the top five per cent of the breed for post-weaning weight (PWT), yearling weight (YWT) and yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD) with figures of +12.76, +15.91 and +4.02, respectively.

He also ranked in the top 10pc for weaning rate (WR) with a figure of +0.24, while also recording a maternal lamb Index of 152.86, in the top 5pc.

The ram had a fibre diameter of 17.4 micron and a greasy fleece weight of 135pc.

A first-time buyer at Trigger Vale, Anthony Close, Kurra-Wirra, said he first spotted the ram at Bendigo and knew he was the one to help take their own stud forward, attracted by his wool quality and carcase.

"His combination of data - the early-growth rate and carcase data is hard to find," he said.

Mr Close said the ram would go into their stud operation.

"I expect he'll be the ram to give us a quantum leap forward in our data," he said.

Mr Close said they run 1000 stud ewes, selling 250 to 300 rams a year, but also join 20,000 ewes in their commercial operation where they run about 30,000 lambs through their on-property feedlot.

"The carcase side and growth is really important to our business," he said.

Trigger Vale stud principal Andrew Bouffler said a ram with fully balanced data like that was hard to find.

"He's got beautiful wools, he's got impeccable structure and he's got a balance of ASBVs," he said.

Mr Bouffler said the three studs in the syndication all had different breeding objectives but the rams balanced data allowed him to be utilised by all three.

"His balance of ASBVs is just extraordinary," he said.

The second top-priced ram was Trigger Vale 1104, which sold for $13,000 to Coleburra Poll Merinos, Tintinara, SA, in a syndicate with Benefield Poll Merinos, Murray Bridge, SA, and Hendowie Poll Merinos, Appila, SA.

The May-drop, twin-born ram, by TV190760, ranked in the top 5pc for YEMD and WR with figures of +3.21 and +0.35, respectively, and on the ML index with 152.55.

He had a fibre diameter of 16.9 micron and a greasy fleece weight of 102pc.

Buyer Chase Ferguson, Coleburra, Tintinara, SA, said the ram had elite wool and skin and was structurally correct.

"He's a really safe sheep to advance our data," he said.

Mr Ferguson said the ram would go into their stud operation where they run 800 stud ewes and have 500 millimetre annual rainfall, so were looking for rams with carcase traits and that skin type.

"We're six-month shearing, easy care, fertile sheep with elite fibre and skins," he said.

"We're aiming for fast growing lambs."

In the White Suffolk draft, the top-priced ram was Trigger Vale 2104, which sold for $3200 to JM McClure.

The June-drop twin-born ram, by TV221127, ranked in the top 5pc for weaning weight with a figure of +12.95.

He also ranked in the top 10pc for PWWT with a figure of +19.7 and on the terminal carcase production index with 159.37.

Volume buyers included D and L Campbell who purchased 29 rams for an average of $2076 and John M Gross who took home 15 rams to average $1733.

Mr Bouffler said the sale result was validation of his vision 25 years ago that the Merino needed to turn into a better lamb type.

He said it was satisfying to see both studs and commercial operators, new and return clients, buying, with the rams to continue to improve the industry.

"The return clients once again validates that they're happy and we have a really good product," he said.

Mr Bouffler said with high lamb and mutton prices it was clear buyers were focused on growth, fat and muscle traits.

"The other trend was that with labour being such of an issue, to run more profitable Merinos more effective and easily is clearly what people are wanting to do," he said.

"So the better worm egg count, the mules free, plain-bodied and the welfare traits really seemed to be a strong indication of that."

The sale was conducted by Elders and Francis and Co, with Ryan Bajada and Harry Cozens, Elders, selling the Poll Merinos, while Alex Croker, Francis and Co, auctioned the White Suffolk rams.

AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.