The Land Report Alexandra Bernard

The Willandra Ram Sale reflected the positive sentiment in the Merino industry at present, fuelled by good wool returns on top of extreme lamb, mutton and surplus sheep prices.

The sale started with strong competition that continued through to the end. The purchaser of Lot 3, the top priced Poll Merino ram, was the Ron Mackay Family, Lone Pine Stud, Coonamble. They have been using Willandra genetics for the past 15 years. The second top price of $14,500 was Lot 10, another Poll Merino, purchased by the Turnbull family of Narada Grazing Co., Tambo, QLD.

Another Poll Ram, Lot 1, was purchased by Walkindyer Poll Merino Stud, North Hampton, WA. After purchasing semen for 10 years and being the losing bidder on the top ram last year, family members had travelled over to be at the sale.

Merino (horn) rams topped at $7,500 twice. Hayden Croake purchased Lot 31 for their recently purchased Allendale stud. Local Tom Sleigh, of Sleigh Pastoral Co., purchased Lot 35, the equal top priced ram for $7,500. The ram was a full brother to a ram recently sold to Argentina for $30,000. The Sleigh family purchased a total of 12 rams.

Other volume buyers included Willoway Farming Pty Ltd purchasing four rams paying up to $8,000 and averaged $6,625. Willoway Farming breed rams to supply the Brinkworth family properties with 500 rams each year to service their 80,000 breeding ewes.