OUYEN-based poll merino stud Tamaleuca defied tough industry conditions to record a total clearance at its annual on-property ram sale last month.
With 60 rams offered and sold to a high of $3400 and average of $1599, Tamaleuca’s Danni Wilson says “we were really thrilled with the outcome”.
Ms Wilson said ram sales had already been hard going this year – particularly for producers trying to push their rams out into the Mallee and pastoral areas.
She said those challenging conditions had been further offset by a fall in the wool market.
The sale-high ram went to the Hosking family at Quambatook, but it was some of the stud’s new buyers who arrived at the sale with serious impact.
“We had a display at the Mallee Machinery Field Days this year, which went well, and then decided we would duck up to the Wentworth Show as well on August 24,” Ms Wilson said.
It is just as well they did, because one new buyer who saw their sheep there – Ian Arney from the Millewa – and made the trip south for the sale, buying 11 rams for an average $1150.
Gus Whyte, a buyer near Wentworth, headed south with his chequebook and took home three rams.
Ms Wilson said she was pretty confident Wentworth might be an annual fixture from here on in.
“We only put up 60 rams this year, the same as 2023, because you have to make a decision about where the market is, and how many people might actually turn up on sale day,” she said.
“The Tamaleuca focus is very much on a dual-purpose sheep, but we work hard to keep them around a 19-micron average because once you start paying shearers you want to know the bales are going to get filled up.
“We were really encouraged by the strong support from our repeat buyers, and the added bidding via AuctionsPlus, and were excited to see some enthusiastic new buyers as well, it always tells you people are either hearing about your genetics from others or they like what they see at field days and shows.”
Straight after the last ram was knocked down by Elders Wycheproof-based auctioneer Aaron Zwar, a fixture behind the microphone on Tamaleuca sale days, several other rams were privately sold to buyer still looking to fill their orders.
The stud has a further private selection available, particularly for its many clients who are still joining as late as November.
“We always get a few late calls from people when they realise they don’t have the numbers for their programs, so we keep a few select rams for those clients as well,” Ms Wilson said.
Exclusively running poll merinos since 2020, Tamaleuca has a strong Peppin heritage running through its bloodlines and, although a convert to ASBVs, it is also continuing with its own program of muscle and fat scanning, combined with visual assessment, to drive its genetic progress.
Ms Wilson said the stud would make the trip to the 2024 Adelaide Ram Sale with a team of two.
