Talbragar Ram Sale sells 102 rams to $3400 Border Leicester top on 17 years of raw performance data
Summary
Consistency and raw performance data accumulated over 17 years of breeding drew longstanding, repeat clients to the Talbragar Ram Sale at Leadville on Tuesday, September 8. The stud sold 102 of 115 Border Leicester and White Suffolk rams to average $1288. In the breakdown, 79 of 80 Border Leicesters sold for a $1342 average and a top of $3400, while 23 of 35 White Suffolks cleared to a top of $2400 and a $1170 average. The top-priced ram of the day, a Border Leicester, was secured on behalf of a Holbrook operation. That ram weighed 92 kilograms and carried a 31.53 square centimetre eye muscle area, eight millimetres of fat and a 1082 Stockscan index. The top White Suffolk, knocked down to a first-time buyer from Goolma, was an August-drop ram weighing 107 kilograms with 7.5 millimetres of fat, a 38.86 square centimetre eye muscle area and a 1520 Stockscan index. A Nyngan-based operation was the leading bulk buyer, securing 20 Border Leicester rams for a $1430 average as part of a program that has purchased 15 to 20 Talbragar rams annually for the past decade to breed first-cross ewes sold via AuctionsPlus. The second-largest bulk buyer, running a Merino first-cross enterprise near Bathurst, took 14 rams for a $992 average. Rams found homes from Scone and Nyngan to Bathurst and the Tablelands, though dry conditions in Queensland trimmed some northern buyer numbers. The stud reported the 2027 sale would introduce new genetics kept from the 2024 drop.
Key Data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total rams sold | 102 of 115, $1288 average |
| Border Leicesters | 79 of 80, $1342 average, $3400 top |
| White Suffolks | 23 of 35, $1170 average, $2400 top |
| Top Border Leicester | 92 kg, 1082 Stockscan index |
| Top White Suffolk | 107 kg, 1520 Stockscan index |
| Leading bulk buyer | 20 rams, $1430 average |
| Years of breeding | 17 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many rams sold at the 2026 Talbragar Ram Sale?
The stud sold 102 of 115 Border Leicester and White Suffolk rams. The overall average was $1288.
How did the two breeds sell?
In the Border Leicesters, 79 of 80 sold for a $1342 average and a $3400 top. In the White Suffolks, 23 of 35 sold to a $2400 top and a $1170 average.
What were the top Border Leicester ram's figures?
The top-priced Border Leicester weighed 92 kilograms. It carried a 31.53 square centimetre eye muscle area, eight millimetres of fat and a 1082 Stockscan index.
What were the top White Suffolk ram's figures?
The top White Suffolk was an August-drop ram weighing 107 kilograms. It had 7.5 millimetres of fat, a 38.86 square centimetre eye muscle area and a 1520 Stockscan index.
Who was the leading bulk buyer?
A Nyngan-based operation secured 20 Border Leicester rams for a $1430 average. It has bought 15 to 20 Talbragar rams annually for the past decade to breed first-cross ewes sold via AuctionsPlus.
What draws repeat clients to the sale?
Buyers cited the stud's consistency, raw performance data and high fertility built over 17 years of breeding. Several have returned year after year.
How did seasonal conditions affect the sale?
Dry conditions in Queensland reduced ewe numbers and trimmed some bulk buyer participation. White Suffolk volume buyers were notably fewer due to a lack of northern rain.
Where did the rams end up?
Rams found homes from Scone and Nyngan to Bathurst and the Tablelands. New genetics from the 2024 drop are planned for the 2027 sale.
