Large crowd pushes Kiandra Poll Merino sale to new heights

It was standing room only at Kiandra Poll Merino stud's 31st annual on-property ram sale, with a big crowd witnessing one of the SA sales of the season.

After last year notching up the highest SA Merino stud average of $3019, Ryan and Sarah Kluska put themselves in prime position to do it again, even with an extra 20 rams in the catalogue.

Overall, 94 of 100 April to July 2026-drop rams averaged an outstanding $3541.

This was up more than $500 on 2025, when 76 rams found homes, and eclipsed the previous benchmark sale average of another Senior-based stud Ridgway Advance stud about a week ago.

Both stud and commercial breeders showed strong interest in Kiandra's offering of unmulesed rams, which also boasted some of the highest ASBVs anywhere in the country.

This is the result of more than a decade of focus for early growth, wool production and animal welfare traits..

A new stud top price record of $17,000 was another highlight.

The 16.6-micron sale-topper, Kiandra 25-5795, was by homebred sire Kiandra 221648 that has progeny excel in many areas of the Balmoral Sire Evaluation Trial.

The lot 6 ram was Mr Kluska's pick for its shape, foot structure and breeding values - ranking in the top 5 per cent for numerous traits, including a Sustainable Merino index of 173 and Wool Production Index of 198, as well as an exceptional clean fleece weight of 40.4.

Its other wool tests included 2.9 standard deviation and 17.6 per cent coefficient of variation.

Eyre Peninsula buyer Darren O'Brien, O'Brien stud, Kyancutta, said it was the ram's visual appeal and combination of top 10pc for condition score and low micron that made him his top pick.

"I had to toss up on a couple of lots of data, but the way the ram stands up, with a wide back end and wide body was why I chose him," Mr O'Brien said.

"He lowers that micron, but is also where we want to head with that doing ability trait. It is a really hard combination to line-up."

Underbidder on the sale-topper, PFR Pastoral, Bordertown, went on to buy six rams averaging $4983, including lot 100 - the final lot in the main auction for $5800.

Rams sold from Eyre Peninsula to Kangaroo Island to the Upper South East and western Vic.

Buyers were able to top up their orders with another 70 rams put up after the main auction. Of these, 13 rams averaged $1354.

Top volume buyer, the Verco family, Marcollat Pastoral Company, Marcollat, selected 13 rams in the main auction to a $3200 high and another nine in the selections after the sale, between $1000 and $2000.

Their agent Adam Bradley said they were focusing on rams with positive fat, high growth and high eye muscle depth figures.

A couple of years ago they bought Kiandra's 1.5-year-old Merino ewes and were so impressed that they have been back for buying rams in the past two years.

"They are doing a good job for us," Will Verco said.

Marcollat Pastoral Company is accredited under the Responsible Wool Standards program and have been able to access good premiums through selling the wool from their non-mulesed flock to the New Zealand Merino Company.

W&P Caldow, Edenhope, Vic, operated in the top end of the catalogue, buying nine rams to $6000, averaging $4356, while Karwin Nominees, Field, took home eight rams to $6600, averaging $4038.

Mr Kluska said it was a pleasing result to be able to back up their 2025 success with an even stronger sale.

"You aim to breed sheep that people want to come and buy," he said.

"Our rams are right up there in measured traits and their pedigrees have performed in sire evaluations so that is how we are doing it."

We are getting a lot of people following along with what we are doing which is good.

Mr Kluska said it was terrific to have a big lift in registered bidder numbers (41), including considerable stud interest.

"We are getting a lot of people following along with what we are doing which is good," he said.

"Some of them were only looking at this stage, but no matter what you are buying, people like to really know what they are buying.

"I am excited about where our program is at and in coming years should have a big battery of high IMF rams."

Platinum Livestock agent Nick Van Den Berg said the exceptional sale was a credit to the Kluska family for their efforts breeding "modern Merinos".

"It was a fantastic catalogue with data spread throughout and only two rams not featuring in the positive fat for the whole catalogue which is stand alone for SA," he said.

"To be able to have modern data sheep with a range of options from fleece weight to hybrid vigour in terms of lamb rearing ability, low wrinkle and low dag is not easy to find.

"Also by offering those extra rams, there were rams for all budgets. We topped at $17,000, but we also got down to $1000 for some selection rams out the back."

Platinum Livestock conducted the sale, with Matt McDonald from SAL the auctioneer.