Burnbrae cements 'top-tier status' with 99 per cent clearance and $7000 peak

Burnbrae Poll Merino stud has achieved its best-ever sale result, recording a near-total clearance of rams and a record average.

More than 50 buyers took home 99 Poll Merino rams out of 100 on offer at the Inverleigh sale, with strong bidding raising the average by about $800 from last year to $2901.

The top-priced ram, Lot 85, Burnbrae 250689, went for $7000 to O'Brien Dohne Merino and Poll Merino stud, Kyancutta, SA.

The ram, sired by Burnbrae 230022, recorded impressive Australian Sheep Breeding Values, including being in the the top 1 per cent forweaning rate of 0.39 kilograms, top 5c for post-weaning weight of 11.56kg, a yearling fat depth of 1.04 millimetres and yearling eye muscle depth at 1.62mm.

The ram's fleece measured 16.1 micron, 2.7 standard deviation, 17 coefficient of variation and 99.7pc comfort factor.

O'Brien stud principal Darren O'Brien purchased the ram's sire last year, and followed it up with three rams this year.

Mr O'Brien said the ram would be joined in his stud program to try to improve reproduction rates.

"He had plenty of growth data, plenty of wool, he stood well and has a good condition score, that is where we are heading," he said.

Burnbrae stud co-principal Steven Wishart said the stud was focused on wool and growth attributes.

"Feet and structure are really important, that is what people are chasing, they want rams out of the paddock for the auction that can go straight back out to the paddock," Mr Wishart said.

Mount Hesse, Winchelsea, purchased 13 rams to be the top volume buyer of the sale.

Dunkeld Pastoral Company purchased seven rams which were headed to its Mount Sturgeon operation that involves about 4500 Merino ewes.

Dunkeld Pastoral Company Mount Sturgeon overseer George Thomas said they had been buying from Burnbrae for three years.

"We are really looking for that doing ability, being able to put on that post-weaning weight, and the mothering ability, so how many lambs they rear is really important to us," Mr Thomas said.

AWN state manager Kelvin Shelley said this year's result represented Burnbrae's establishment as a top-tier stud.

"You saw a huge improvement in the genetics they have got here," Mr Shelley said.

"Steve and the family have done such a good job of breeding over the last four or five years.

"There has probably been a number of people sitting back and watching where his stud was going to go, and what we see now is a huge improvement and those people are all here to buy today."

Before the auction, 221 ewes were also offered, with all going to a single buyer for $395 a head.