Aloeburn Poll Merinos sell on dual-purpose traits to long-term clients
Aloeburn Poll Merinos at Boree Creek sold rams to long-time clients at their annual sale on Wednesday, with growth, eye muscle depth, and fertility at the top of buyers' wish lists.
The annual sale recorded 54 rams sold from 60 offered, averaging $1985 and topping at $5500 for the homozygous poll Merino, Aloeburn 240966, by Aloeburn 210398.
Weighing 98.5 kilograms at 13 months of age, the ram presented with Australian Sheep Breeding Values in the top five per cent of the breed for all growth metrics, from weaning weight through yearling weight, and for ewe rearing ability.
The ram also presented with ASBVs in the top 10pc for maternal behaviour score, weaning rate, and the Merino lamb index score, with that last number reaching 142.95.
He was purchased by repeat client Nick Godde, Godde Farms at Culcairn.
One of the volume buyers, the Paton family, Fellow Hills Pastoral at Morven, came away with nine rams to average $1525 and top at $2000 for Aloeburn 240606, by 220502, with top 5pc for ERA, with top 10pc ASBV figures for yearling eye muscle depth, MBS, and yearling staple length.
"We have been focusing on selecting for muscle, fat, and growth, which correlates well with fertility," said Hamish Paton.
"We look for easy-doing, robust rams that offer easy care, with the right skin, to handle our environment.
"We don't worry so much about clean fleece weight. Average figures in this are fine for us."
The self-replacing Merino enterprise targets wether lambs at 10 months, sold to Gundagai Meat processors, 58 to 64kg liveweight and 28 to 32kg dressed with a 50pc yield.
"About 80pc of our lambs hit the premium grid," he said.
"We aim for 120 to 135 per cent at lamb marking, and we are happy to get 6 to 6.5kg of wool off our ewes. If we make $350 off each ewe per year, from both wool and lambs, we are happy."
Butch and Judy Lane at Lockhart have been purchasing Aloeburn rams for the past 50 years, and went home with four rams to average $1812 and top at $2500.
Mr Lane described the Aloeburn rams as nice, plain-breached Merinos, "able to produce a really good lamb that tends to hold its muscling".
"We finish our lambs on crop stubble towards the end of January. We find the heavier lambs are good weed eaters," he said.
Aloeburn stud principal Andrew Green said the sale was a success.
"We are thankful for the ongoing relationship with existing buyers and very happy to welcome new buyers to our stud," said Mr Green, whose family have been on the property since 1881 and have been breeding dual-purpose Merino sheep for the last half a century.
"Our sale rams this year are great examples of our Aloeburn type, expressing great balance for the five critical production traits of growth, carcase, fibre, reproduction, and welfare.
"Our focus on phenotype and data balance is giving us confidence in our ability to service our clients.
"We continue to invest in our stud sheep through measurement, classing, and focused joinings.
"We congratulate our buyers on enduring some challenging times recently and applaud their commitment to the Merino industry; we firmly believe that our style of sheep can provide great diversity and flexibility within each grower's enterprise while still producing great merino wool."
The on-farm sale was hosted by Quality Wool.
