AFTER a one-year hiatus the Mount Ronan summer ram sale returned for its fifth sale last week, offering 30 White Suffolk and 30 Maternal rams via AuctionsPlus.
Buyers were selective when it came to bidding, with 31 of the 60 rams on offer selling under the hammer, 13 White Suffolks sold alongside 18 Maternals.
Mount Ronan stud principal Guy Bowen said the sale had a satisfying result in what has been a tough season for both WA and the Eastern States.
"I was pleased to see that Mount Ronan genetics are continuing to produce outstanding commercial performance under difficult seasonal conditions around Australia," Mr Bowen said.
"The AuctionsPlus online interface worked well for buyers and it was pleasing to see new and repeat buyers operating."
Elders stud stock manager Tim Spicer also thought the sale had a good end result considering the seasonal conditions.
"The AuctionsPlus format was good, as rams didn't have to be penned on a hot summer day and this year with pre-sale video it allowed buyers to have a good look at how the rams moved before bidding, which they appreciated," Mr Spicer said.
It was AK & KE O'Halloran, Hamilton, Victoria who paid the top price of $1250 for a Maternal ram with LambPlan figures of 0.5 BWT, 9.2 WWT, 14.2 AWT, -0.8 PFAT and PEMD 1.6.
For the O'Hallorans it was their first time purchasing from Mount Ronan and they weren't afraid to bid up.
They acquired a total of nine White Suffolk and Maternal rams for a $778 average to be volume buyers of the sale.
The O'Hallorans main farm is located at Jeparit and have recently purchased another property at Port Fairy, Victoria.
The Maternal rams purchased will be joined to Mount Ronan Maternal bloodline ewe lambs recently purchased from Owen and Bridie Blake, Tandari, Harefield, New South Wales.
The lambs will be born at Port Fairy to be sold as suckers and if they don't make that market they will be sent to the Jeparit property for finishing.
The second best price of the sale was $1150 paid by Elders Midland for a Maternal ram with 0.5 BWT, 8.7 WWT, 14.3 AWT, 0.2 PFAT and PEMD 2.6 PEMD.
Also reaching the $1150 threshold was Dale Harris, Redbank Grazing Company, Beermullah, purchasing a Maternal ram with figures of BWT 0.40, WWT 8.39, AWT 14.08, PFAT 0.1 and 3.1 PEMD.
Mr Harris went on to purchase a further three Maternal rams for a combined average of $1013.
Picking up four Maternal rams to a $800 top and a $725 average was Andrew Lewis, A & S Lewis, Carbunup River.
The top ram purchased by Mr Lewis had figures of 0.5 BWT, 8.5 WWT, 13.9 AWT, 0.2 PFAT and a top five per cent PEMD of 2.7.
Jonson Clifton, Fairbanks Farming, Kojonup, also joined in the bidding to secure two Maternal rams at a top of $900 and an average of $850.
S & G O'Halloran, Rainbow, Victoria, got involved towards the end of the sale purchasing the Maternal ram in lot 58 at $700, which had figures of 0.4 BWT, 7.1 WWT, 11.0 AWT, 0.16 PFAT and 2.6 PEMD.
In the White Suffolk portion of the sale prices topped at $1000 and this was paid by Tim Zadow, TJ & BM Zadow, Kojonup, for a ram which had figures of 0.4 BWT, 10.4 WWT, 0.4 PFAT and 3.7 PEMD.
The second top of $900 was achieved twice and was also paid by Mr Zadow for a ram with figures of 0.3 BWT, 10.1 WWT, 0.5 PFAT and 3.5 PEMD.
The equal second top White Suffolk at $900 had figures of 0.42 BWT, 9.8 WWT, -0.01 PFAT and 3.1 PEMD also purchased by Mr Zadow.
Mr Zadow went on to secure seven White Suffolk rams at an average of $829.
Securing three White Suffolk rams was Nick Crichton, Anglesey Farming, Gnowangerup, at high of $800 and an average of $733.
