Top ram at Pooginook sale destined for interstate duties in the west
Rams with early growth, positive fats and quality wool traits were sought after at the Pooginook Poll Merino ram sale, Tuesday, September 23, held on the property near Jerilderie.
Buyers from as far north as Bourke, as far south as Bamganie, Victoria, and as west as Forest Hill, Western Australia, attended the sale, which reached a top price of $7000.
The top-priced ram, Pooginook 240413, was purchased by Brad Mclean, Murray Valley Grazing, Forest Hill, WA, near Albany.
The twin-born, homozygous polled ram sired by Pooginook 210502, recorded a fibre diameter of 17.3 micron, with a standard deviation of 2.8 micron, with a coefficient of variation of 16.1 per cent and a comfort factor of 99.6pc.
Lighting up his Australian Sheep Breeding Values with a see of rainbow, the ram placed in the top 1pc for his sustainable Merino index of 170.54, while being in the 5pc for his post weaning weight (PWT), yearling weight (YWT), yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW) and adult clean fleece weight (ACFW).
He continued on the high ranking values with adult weight (AWT) and yearling staple length (YSL) in the top 10pc, as well as yearling fat (FYAT), yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD), yearling coefficient of variation of fibre diameter (YDCV) and condition score (CS) all ranking in the top 20pc.
Mr Mclean said the operation was chasing an all-round ram to add to their 4000 Merino ewe flock with a 19-micron fleece average, alongside a cropping operation.
The western operation has been purchasing Pooginook rams for the past 40 years, with 50pc of the ewes joined back to Merino rams, while the other half are joined to terminal sires. Merino ewe lambs retained and the wethers either sold as weaners or taken through the feedlot, depending on the season.
"He's an all-around sheep; he is a good visual sheep, and the figures to match it," he said.
"We look at the adult fleece weight, but also the fats and the muscles, and the growth weights."
The second top-priced ram was Pooginook 244169, purchased by Walker Partnership Pty Ltd, Rankins Springs, for $4000.
Also sired by Pooginook 210502, the young ram recorded a fibre diameter of 16.5, 17.8pc CV and 99.5pc CF.
He too displayed early growth and heavy cutting wool traits, with his PWT, YCFW, ACFW and sustainable Merino index figures of +10.88, +38.93, +32.93 and 163.19, all placing in the top 5pc.
He also ranked in the top 10pc for his YWT and YSL.
Volume buyers were active in the sale with Coo-ee Partnership, Forbes, who purchased 21 rams for a top of $3000 to average $1354, while WP and LJ Ridge, Bourke, took home 30 rams for a top of $3250 to average $2391.
Overall 215 of 289 rams sold to a top of $7000 to average 2355. Three additional rams sold immediately after the sale.
Pooginook stud and station manager, Andrew Glover, said he was happy with the results of the sale.
"I'm happy with the results, and the most exciting part for me from our perspective is that we sold the rams; we had two new clients here that bought a run of rams each," he said.
"We know it was going to get sticky at the end, and that's a sheer numbers thing. We can't have the Merino flock going back at the rate it has done and expect to sell that many rams.
"I'm pretty confident that carcase and growth traits would have attracted the attention of buyers, and obviously, the Pooginook wools are renowned, and we haven't lost sight of that. We'll keep the Pooginook wool cut and quality wools."
The sale was conducted by Elders Jerilderie and Nutrien Deniliquin, with Tim Woodham and Peter Godbolt, Nutrien, with Nick Gray and Harry Cozens, Elders as auctioneers.
