Collandra Merino Stud held its 46th annual ram auction last week, with the top-selling lot three going for $5000 and all 40 sheep on offer sold.
The selling team consisted of auctioneer Adam Briese, Tony Wetherall and Alistair Keller.
Mr Wetherall congratulated Steve and Emily Lawrie for a great presentation of merino rams at the sale.
“They certainly do exhibit the traits of the modern merino with that terrific growth, that terrific carcass, really meaty sheep, very square, good structures and they’ve got plenty of wool on them,” he said.
“They are going to fill a bail and that’s what it’s about.”
Robert Calderwood has been buying from Collandra for nearly 20 years and said the top ram he bought on the day was the best for him due to its size and white bright wool.
“He’s rough and tough and won’t take s**t from shearers,” he laughed.
“I’m at Koppio and the heavy rain rainfall, they handle the rainfall and fill the bails up, that’s why I bought him and I’ve been buying here for years.”
The ram has a micron of 19.3, weighed 114 kilograms with a comfort factor of 99.7 per cent and was sired by an EB Lewis ram.
Another buyer from Hallett in the Mid North was Tony Brooks, who nabbed a nifty 15 of the rams under the hammer.
“I class here so I know the sheep pretty well,” he said.
“Great sheep, plenty of bone, plenty of constitution so they’re good station rams – what I’m buying for.
“They’re really good sheep, East Bungaree blood and I used to own East Bungaree, it’s the perfect combination.”
Steve was happy with the sale day, and with his daughter Emily they were confident in continuing their ram sale tradition.
“Some people are going to private selections,” he said.
“It’s not an easy thing to do, put sheep up for sale and then you only sell half of them.
“We did that for a few years, but we’re just gradually bouncing back and picking up some new clients and it makes it a lot easier.”
