Agriculture
29 August, 2023
First-time buyer picks up six
LOCAL buyers were again prominent at Kedleston Park Merino and Poll Merino Stud’s on-property ram sale last Friday. Fentons Creek’s Steven Finch was a first-time buyer at the Calivil stud auction. Steven said the genetics of Kedleston Park...
LOCAL buyers were again prominent at Kedleston Park Merino and Poll Merino Stud’s on-property ram sale last Friday.
Fentons Creek’s Steven Finch was a first-time buyer at the Calivil stud auction.
Steven said the genetics of Kedleston Park ticked his boxes for lambing percentages, wool and frame.
“We run 2500 Merino ewes that were joined to white Suffolks this year,” Steven said.
“With these six new rams, we’ll have about half being joined to Merinos next year.”
Steven said he had decided to make the switch to Kedleston Park after viewing the stud’s rams at this month’s Victorian State Field Day.
Regular local buyers at Kedleston Park, including the Tonkins of Wedderburn, Isaacs of Powlett Plains and the Colvins, also of Powlett Plains, were successful bidders on multiple lots.
The auction sold 41 of 60 rams offered for an average of $2181 with a number of passed-in rams sold later in the afternoon.
Everton’s Grant Heywood purchased five rams for the day. Two went for the equal sale top price of $4000. Grant first bought Kedleston Park Merinos in 2016 after the Calivil stud was part of a wether trial.
“I find their genetics give us better value and very productive sheep,” he said. “We run in a higher rainfall area - averaging 720mm - and the wool handles well and cuts well.”
Grant’s top bid rams were at 18 and 17.9 microns, standard deviation 2.4 and 3.3, coefficient of variation 13.1 and 18.5 and comfort factor of 99.9 and 99,4 per cent.
Also buying at top price were Geordie and Rowena McDonald, of Jubb Pastoral, Hexham, for a ram of 18.3 micron, standard deviation 2.7, coefficient of variation of 14.7 and comfort factor of 99.7 per cent.
Kedleston Park principal John Humbert said the annual auction had missed some regular buyers after recent retirements.
He said lower price bids were also a reflection of the industry at the moment.
“But there has been new interest too and we sold five rams soon after the auction finished,” he said.
The Loddon ram sale season continues at Willera Merinos tomorrow.