Top Gunallo ram, with 'impeccable' background, bound for stud duties in Mid North

AFTER seeing a "pretty handy" Gunallo Poll Merino ram at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in July, Manoora stud breeder Andrew Hall said he was willing to bid hard for his single purchase at the stud's on-property sale on Thursday.

Mr Hall said the Gunallo 200059-sired ram in lot 6 had "impeccable bloodlines" in his background that he was chasing for his Wirrilla Run Poll Merino stud in the Mid North.

"They align with some of the rams we have purchased over the years from various other flocks," he said.

"He may not have the best figures, but his pedigree shone through for us and we are confident he will do the job we are after."

The $7000 sale top price Gunallo ram weighed 102 kilograms, and had figures of 8.5 yearling weight, 20.1 yearling clean fleece weight, 10.7 yearling staple length, 1.04 yearling eye muscle depth and -0.12 yearling fat.

Its 18.4-micron fleece had 2.9 standard deviation, 15.7 per cent coefficient of variation and 99.8pc comfort factor, while it scored 139 on the Sustainable Merino Index.

Mr Hall said the ram would be used either over select ewes with similar bloodlines or on their up-and-coming ewe hoggets that he had been impressed with.

He runs a 950-ewe commercial and stud Poll Merino flock, and previously bought from Gunallo - 'Gun 548' at $4500 - at the 2012 Adelaide Show Ram Sale.

"We chase rams with fantastic structure, a pure Poll head, and plenty of meat and fat to hold condition," he said.

Gunallo stud principal Brad Schroeder described the top ram as "pretty faultless structurally".

"He goes back to a Mernowie 769 ram, which was also a very safe ram with a good wool cut as well," he said.

Top ram underbidder McPiggery, Lameroo, didn't go home empty handed, taking lot 1 at the sale's second-highest price of $5500, plus bidding strong for another two, averaging $4967.

William Werner, who bid on behalf of McPiggery, said they were targeting good, dual-pupose rams.

Mr Schroeder said lot 1 was a "good allrounder" and had also "presented well at all the shows".

"We had considered him for the Adelaide Show but then we pulled a ram for Classings Classic, and so he became our lot 1," he said.

"He has good breeding by our Leahcim 212477 sire (bought with Ridgway in 2022 for $24,000), that has bred really well for us."

Overall, the Schroeder family sold 111 rams from 120 offered, averaging $2270 - a $565 increase on the 2025 sale and a much better clearance..

Mr Schroeder was very happy with the sale result, especially the presence of a few new buyers, including two bidding through AuctionsPlus from NSW.

The sale also had a number of volume buyers, with the biggest haul by return client Blairgowrie Trust, Willaura, Vic - 25 rams to $2500, averaging $1660.

Blairgowrie's Lynden Brewis said they have been slowly building their flock back up to joining 14,000 ewes, and were chasing "good bodied sheep with good wool and growth rates".

"It's looking fantastic where we are, we had plenty of feed in front of ewes for lambing," he said.

"And with the mild winter, it has helped to increase our lamb survivability, up 10-20pc."

There was also a few bulk buyers from Victoria, including Wheeler Farms with seven averaging $1971; CA&JM Smith with seven averaging $1614; Modbrim with six averaging $2200; Glencoe Station with six averaging $1383; and new client DT&PC Hickey with six averaging $1266.

The sale was conducted by Nutrien and PPHS, with Richard Miller and Robin Steen the auctioneers.