Top-priced ram from Wild Oat to form foundation of new Victorian stud

Victorian buyers were particularly strong during the second annual Wild Oat SheepMaster stud ram sale, held on-property at Beckom on Wednesday, October 1.

At the fall of the hammer, 78 of 80 rams were sold to a top of $6000 and an average $3429.

The top-priced ram was Wild Oats 240315, sold for $6000 to Ashley Park Stud, Bairnsdale, Victoria.

The mid-May drop ram, by Wild Oat Shiny 220615 and from Wild Oat 220305, had Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of -0.11 for birthweight (BWT), +5.72 for weaning weight (WWT), +8.99 for post-weaning weight (PWWT), -0.41 for post-weaning fat (PFAT) and +1.56 for post-weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD).

He also had figures of +135.45 on the terminal carcase production (TCP) index and +132 on the maternal carcase production (MCP) index.

Buyer Ian Kyle, Ashley Park, Bairnsdale, Vic, said the ram was a nice, bare, clean ram.

"Beautiful in the feet and nice and long," he said.

Already operating Poll Dorset and Southdown studs, Mr Kyle said the ram would help shape a new SheepMaster stud for them.

They already had some SheepMaster ewes and were transitioning to the breed for ease of management with the shedding sheep.

Wild Oat's Mike O'Hare said the sale-topper ram was one of his favourites.

"He's a beautiful big, straight ram with soft, silky skin and a good temperament," he said.

The second-highest priced ram was Wild Oat 240052, which made $5250 to Kooringa Partnership.

The triplet-born and reared, mid-May drop ram, by Garnett Statesman 21Y119 and from Wild Oat 210196, had figures of -0.04 BWT, +8.68 WWT, +12.69 PWT, +0.46 PFAT and +2.23 PEMD.

He also had a +140.76 TCP and +147.43 MCP.

A feature of the auction was lot 42, Wild Oats 240373, which sold for $3250 to Allambie Farming, Barmedman, with the proceeds of the sale donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The charity ram was one of seven rams Allambie bought for an average of $3536.

Volume buyers included Binginbar Farms, Gollan, with 10 rams to average $3150.

Binginbar Farms' Kieran Simpson said they selected rams on their eye muscle, weaning weight and post-weaning weight.

"We tried to keep them at a lower mature weight," he said.

"We weren't targeting the biggest ones but we're targeting the early growth."

Mr Simpson said the rams will go over other shedding breeds in their commercial lamb operation, where they run between 4000 and 600 ewes and also trade.

They purchased from Wild Oat last year.

"They went straight to work, the ewes lambed well and the lambs have sold well," he said.

Other volume buyers were Dunedin Park Stud, Wentworth, selecting seven rams to average $4071, and GC Heaslip, Weethalle, took home six rams to average $4292.

Mr O'Hare said they had had a lot of interest in the lead-up to the sale and the result was very pleasing, with a mix of repeat and new buyers.

The sale was conducted by Nutrien and Quade Moncrieff with Nutrien's Matthew Campion and Jaiden Burke, sharing the rostrum.

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