First-time commercial buyer claims top-priced ram at Pooginook Poll Merino
Rams with growth traits, quality wool and phenotype to match were highly sought after at the Pooginook Poll Merino ram sale, held on-property near Jerilderie on Tuesday, September 22.
A strong contingent of repeat and volume buyers made their presence felt, customising their draft to bring rams home across NSW and further afield.
Tim Ferguson, McKean McGregor, Mildura, Vic, purchased the top-priced ram, Pooginook 250633, for $5750. The ram was purchased on behalf of a first-time buyer, to run commercially.
Sired by Kerin Poll 230047, the ram recorded a fibre diameter of 16.3 micron, with a standard deviation of 2.4 micron, a coefficient of variation of 14.9 per cent and a comfort factor of 99.7pc.
He lit up his Australian Sheep Breeding Values, and placed in the top 5pc for his weaning and post-weaning weight (WWT, PWT), and yearling weight (YWT), which reached +8.4, +12.4 and +14.7, along with a Sustainable Merino index in the top 5pc, at +166.6.
Mr Ferguson said it was pleasing to see the physical article match the data he'd been searching for.
"He was our top ram on our index that was set up for us, and he also came across as our first pick as the visual ram in the shed," he said.
"He'll go to a self-replacing commercial flock, we've been getting really good results on the rams we've been picking, and we're confident he'll slide into the program well."
Mr Ferguson secured three further rams at $4750, $1500, and $1500 on behalf of the same buyer.
At the fall of the hammer, 187 of 236 lots sold to average $2735, with further lots sold after the sale.
The Thornton family, Lemongrove Pastoral, Nyngan, secured 36 rams, averaging $2965.
The Matthews family, Bedarbidgal, Hay, bought 20 rams, which averaged $2478, while Jemalong Wool purchased 12 rams, which averaged $1771, on behalf of the Dunkley family.
Phillip Carter, FP Carter, Ilabo, secured six rams, including Pooginook 251547, which sold for $5000.
Mr Carter said he first picked the ram on his data, backed up by his phenotype.
"He ticked all the boxes, we'll put him with the Merino ewes and hope he gets the job done," he said.
"We're chasing condition scores and weaning rate traits, and keeping wool cut."
By Mumblebone 230161, the ram recorded a fibre diameter of 14.6, 18.6 CV, 2.7 SV and 99.9 CF. He displayed traits in the top 20pc of the breed for WWT, PWD and yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD) - at +5.9, +8.8 and +2.3 respectively.
Pooginook stud and station manager Andrew Glover said the flock's genetics had been refined, trialled and tested in their own flock, proving the scalability of the rams after a remarkably difficult season.
"When you have an external business, we put so much weight on our results in one day, but if we look at our whole enterprise and especially our commercial part of the business, I think there's lots of wins there for the year," he said.
"To achieve 127 per cent lambs weaned to ewes joined is pretty exceptional in what was a very tough year, it only started raining seven weeks ago."
The bottom line of commercial production remained the strong focus at Pooginook, he said, pushing genetic growth generation to generation.
"We're building in genetic condition score, the ability for the animals to hold condition for that first part of the pinch, whether that lasts one month, two months, five months," he said.
"They maintain condition, so we need less inputs to keep them at that ideal condition score, but we often feed for less time as well because you don't feed as early and you don't have to feed as long once the green feed comes."
Mr Glover said 2027 held the true test for the flock's genetic direction, where the ram's brothers will be used across the Pooginook ewes and come into the system.
The sale was conducted by Elders Jerilderie and Nutrien Deniliquin, with Tim Woodham and Peter Godbolt, Nutrien, and Nick Gray and Ryan Bajada, Elders, as auctioneers.
