Season impacts clearance as ram sales predicted to be a 'numbers game'

A Merino stud in the upper south-east of South Australia has paid top price for a ram with "exceptional carcase traits" at Joel Joel stud Forest Springs' annual auction.

Elders St Arnaud district wool manager Glendon Hancock bought the top-priced ram, Lot 5, for $5500 on behalf of Ramsgate stud, Tintanara, SA.

Mr Hancock was the main buyer of rams at the sale, picking up sires for commercial clients.

Forest Springs sold 48 of 100 rams offered, for an average of $1900.

Mr Hancock said Ramsgate stud co-principals Jed and Craig Keller recognised the ram's "all-rounder" traits.

"They recognised his carcase traits and his quality wool," he said.

"He was very exceptional in the fat and eye muscle.

"They have used them before, so they obviously saw the virtues in the Forest Springs sheep."

Mr Hancock bought 28 rams for his clients and said he wished he had more orders.

"We have had a few guys pull out of the game just recently, diversifying to cropping and a few more fat lambs," he said.

"They'll be back, the wool market is back."

He said Forest Springs had a good mix of fat, eye muscle and growth, alongside wool cut and quality.

"They have been excelling in fleece weight and are right up there with their carcase weight," he said.

"We can't argue with their dual-purpose characteristics."

Lot 5, 24006, which sold for $5500, was by Willera 22

The top-priced, May-drop ram was sired by Willera 22 and weighed 98 kilograms.

Its fleece measured 17.4 micron, with a standard deviation of 2.7, co-efficient of variation of 15.4 per cent and comfort factor of 99.8pc.

The ram's eye muscle depth was 35 millimetres, and his fat measurement was 4mm.

He had a post-weaning weight of 8kg, a yearling weight of 9.8kg and a yearling fat measurement of 0.45.

His yearling eye muscle depth was 2.01mm, and he had a yearling clean fleece weight of 17.58kg.

Forest Springs stud co-principal Bruce Dean said the clearance was down due to the lower demand for rams this season.

"It's a reflection of the number of ewes in the system, rather than anything else," he said.

Mr Dean said it had been a challenging year in getting the rams ready for the sale due to the dry conditions.

"We had 100 two years ago, so we kept it at 100, but obviously we should have dropped it back," he said.

He said some potential buyers had dropped out days before the sale.

"The lack of ewes is the number one reason I am getting some ewes that are going to terminals, so you are fighting with that as well," he said.

He said Lot 5 had "great data".

"It's easy to find high fat and eye muscle, but not necessarily the micron," he said.

Elders Hamilton stud stock manager Ross Milne said while the sale was down on clearance, it was still a solid average.

"There was a nice run of rams right through, but there were a few guys missing this year as they didn't require sheep," he said.

"You probably have registrations down, but that is not so much a reflection on the sheep, but it's just where producers are in their farming systems at the moment.

"We are finding people are a bit more selective, they are happy to spend on the rams they want, but maybe not the quantity they have purchased in the past.

"I think that is going to be one of the main factors, as we drive through the spring."

Mr Milne said sales had started off "pretty well".

"It will be a numbers game, I don't think averages will take much of a hit, but I think clearance numbers may be back a little bit, just due to the fact of the lack of ewe numbers out there in the system at the moment," he said.

Volume buyer was Clearview Partnership, Boorowa, NSW, which picked up eight rams through Fox & Lillie Rural.