Bidding frenzy pushes Yarram Park maternal ram averages up by nearly $800

Soaring replacement sheep values have driven maternal ram averages up by $777 and terminals up $426 at Yarram Park's annual sale.

The Willaura stud sold its complete drop of 99 maternal rams on Tuesday to a top price of $3000 and an average of $2055, while 93 of 100 terminal rams sold to a top price of $2500, averaging $1634.

The figures mark a significant turnaround from last year's sale, where Yarram Park sold 144 of 194 rams offered, averaging $1278 for maternals and $1208 for terminals.

Yarram Park manager Craig Brewin said he was pleased with the result, noting it was one of the highest clearances of rams sold by the western district stud.

"We had good support in the maternals because there is huge value in them with what replacement sheep are worth at the moment," Mr Brewin said.

"Replacement sheep are expensive so people are either breeding their own or they have that flexibility to sell surplus sheep as numbers build and reinvest in rams.

"The terminals were a lot more consistent in their pricing and sold from $1500-$2000."

The top-priced maternal ram was Lot 25, Yarram Park 250077, which sold for $3000 to Michael and Digby Schinckel, ECH Schinckel & Son, Kybybolite, SA.

The ram was in the top 5 per cent of the breed for post-weaning weight, and top 20pc for weaning weight and the maternal carcase production plus index.

Digby said he and his father run a self-replacing composite operation comprising 4500 ewes plus ewe lambs.

"This ram was one of the bigger rams in the catalogue for length and growth," he said.

"We are chasing rams with high post-weaning weights because we run a high stocking rate and finish our rams in our own feedlot."

The Schinckels bought five rams in the sale, including three at $2750, one at $2250 and the top-priced $3000 ram.

Most of the Schinckels' rams are sold directly over the hooks to Australian Lamb Company or Woolworths.

"We have bought rams from Yarram Park for five or six years," Digby said.

"We've always liked the look of the Yarram Park rams and the reasonable prices for good rams."

The top-priced terminal ram, Lot 142, Yarram Park 251307, was knocked down for $2500 to Livestock Consulting Victoria.

A majority of the rams sold were purchased by primary producers in Victoria, while lots also went to NSW, South Australia and Tasmania.

Mr Brewin said the return of many absent buyers served as a testament to the enduring performance and commercial calibre of Yarram Park's rams.

"Forty-one out of our 99 maternal rams were positive in fat and people are looking at that for the early maturity and that helps with the breeding of ewe lambs and early fertility too," he said.

Lachie Wilson, Murdeduke Ag, Winchelsea, secured 10 terminal rams, topping his purchases at $2250.

"Our terminal ram team was starting to get a bit of age so we needed to update to newer genetics," Mr Wilson said.

"As some of our older Yarram Park rams were over six-years-old and had gone the distance, and the fact we knew their progeny meets market specifications and good weight for age, it was a no-brainer to go back to Yarram Park."

Elders stud stock manager for Victoria and the Riverina Ross Milne said the impressive rises in sale averages for both the maternal and terminal rams was evidence the stud was meeting the expectations of commercial producers.

"The rams presented extremely well and the data on the sheep has certainly improved and continues to improve from one year to the next," Mr Milne said.

"People are keen to rebuild their ewe numbers and when you look at the price particularly of good replacement ewes, farmers are looking to breed more of their own.

"This allows people to reestablish their numbers with a self-replacing flock, whether it's using a maternal composite ram or a Merino ram."