Top hits $20,000 at Collandra North, full clearance and strong average
An award-winning 12-month-old ram has left the shed at Collandra North, Tumby Bay, and will make his way to Burtundy Station, Ivanhoe, NSW.
The ram topped Collandra North's sale at $20,000 on Wednesday and with a full clearance of 129 rams, their average was also a healthy $2426.
Compared to last year's top of $8000 and an average up more than $700, stud principal Sydney Lawrie said it was positive to have clients backing them.
He said it was also reflective of the market and industry at the moment.
The top ram, an August-drop, placed first in the All Purpose Strong Wool Lamb and second in the Strong Wool Lamb competitions at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo.
He was sired by CN Imperial Collinsville 210302.
Lot 3 weighed 130.5kg with a micron of 22.6, standard deviation of 3, coefficient of variation 13.3, comfort factor of 98.8.
The ram had a fat score of 8 and eye muscle depth of 46.1mm.
Mr Lawrie described Lot 3 as one of the best rams they have sold for a few years.
"There's not many rams that have won that are on the market...Lawrence's have been long term clients of ours, so we are happy that it's going to them and they can use him."
Lot 3 was purchased by regular clients, the Lawrence family of Burtundy Station, Ivanhoe, western NSW.
Brothers Charlie and Tom were in attendance and said the ram would go out with their stud ewes.
He piqued their interest and said he would "fit in well" with their 16,000 ewe flock.
The brothers said the Collandra North sires were big rams and did well at home, producing good lambs which gained weight early on.
Multiple buyers came from throughout Victoria and NSW, while a strong contingency also came from the Eyre Peninsula and Mid North.
A strong crowd was in attendance at the sale and of the 44 registered bidders, Dawson Pastoral Co, north of Peterborough, took 13 rams to an average of $2446 and HA & JM Watkin, Hay, took 12 to an average of $1900.
Streaky Bay clients Black Oak Ridge also took nine rams to an average of $2000.
Justin Sheehan, Dawson Pastoral Co, said they were relatively new clients of Collandra North but had seen great success with previous purchases.
These rams will go back out to paddocks over the breeding ewes at Dawson, which Mr Sheehan said was looking "magnificent" at the moment following good rains.
Mr Sheehan said they were running at about a third of their sheep numbers at the moment and these rams would help to get lambs on the ground again.
The rams were good doers for their country and stood well against the dry years.
"They (the rams) seem to keep their condition and the lambs seem to grow reasonably well even in the drier times," Mr Sheehan said.
Mr Lawrie and wife Therese have worked hard to spread their genetics across many different states.
"Our furthest client is probably about 18 hours from here," Mr Lawrie said.
"It's good within a business to be able to spread out like that. That way, hopefully someone is always having a good season."
Nutrien stud stock auctioneer Gordon Wood said the top of $20,000 for Lot 3 was "well deserved".
Mr Wood described him as an "absolute brute" of a ram, and a young ram and August drop.
Auctioneering alongside Mr Wood, Elder stud stock's Tony Wetherall said he felt Collandra North attracted buyers because of the production the sheep offered.
He said not only did they have size, bone and good growth, as well as carcase qualities, they had good wool which filled bales.
"They've got genetics that will perform for people in varying environments, wherever they go," Mr Wetherall said.
