OUR SALES HISTORY

SOUTH East clients Lock-Haven returned to the Radnor Merino and Poll Merino on-property sale at Langhorne Creek on Friday, looking for rams with "crimpier wool, without going overboard".

They paid the sale's $3400 top price for lot 6 - a 90-kilogram Poll Merino, with 21.6-micron fleece, measuring 3.1 standard deviation, 14.2 coefficient of variation, 99.5 per cent comfort factor, as well as 4.5 millimetres fat score, 38mm eye muscle depth and a 100pc greasy fleece weight.

Lock-Haven's Brody and David Lock, Mundulla, bid strong on the top end of the catalogue, unable to decide between lots 2-5, so they bought all four, averaging $2600.

Overall, the Koehler family sold 27 rams of the 58 offered, all to repeat buyers, averaging $1240.

The average was only slightly down on last year's sale, when 36 rams averaged $1325.

The sale's volume buyers were Tim and Louise Smith, via Loxton, who bought six rams averaging $950.

They were chasing "length of body, good fat cover, long nourished staple on the wool".

"And Steve and Brett have presented their most even line-up of sheep," Louise said.

"We normally only buy 2-3, but we're selling off our cattle and getting more into sheep."

Radnor stud principal Steve Koehler said it was disappointing interest at recent field days hadn't translated in new clients.

"We displayed the top price ram at Bendigo and Keith, and he was the most looked at sheep," he said.

"He's not the biggest, but he has a crimpy, gutsy wool on him."

The sale was conducted by Elders and Nutrien, with Nutrien Strathalbyn livestock agent Andrew Wilson the auctioneer.

IMPRESSED by the top quality on display at the Radnor ram sale in Langhorne Creek on Friday, new client Richard Hein, Burdett, bid strongly on the first Poll Merino offered and paid the $3800 sale top price.

Mr Hein said he had seen Radnor genetics at the recent Karoonda & Districts Stud Merino Field Day in Murray Bridge and liked what they had to offer.

"They're all-rounder sheep - big bodied with beautiful white wool and good figures," he said.

"I was chasing rams that were 20 microns or under, as that what the market is looking for these days, and wool with a bit of nourishment."

The top ram in lot 1, sired by Radnor 110 (a Collinsville Imperial 521 son), weighed 102.5 kilograms with a 41-millimetre eye muscle depth and 7mm fat depth, while its 19.5M wool had 3 standard deviation, 15.4 coefficient of variation and 99.8 per cent comfort factor.

Mr Hein bought two rams at the sale, with the other at lot 22 for $1000.

Overall, the Koehler family offered 70 Merino and Poll Merino rams in the main auction, with 65 selling for an average of $1182 - a $128 drop on the 2021 sale.

The main auction Poll Merino rams averaged $1244, while the 12 Merinos averaged $892.

Another 14 or more sold in a mini auction after the sale.

Radnor stud co-principal Steve Koehler was disappointed in the fall of the sale average, but was happy to clear most of the rams and even picking up a new buyer.

He agreed the top price ram was a "complete sheep - a bale filler expected to produce good wether lambs".

"He had a pure muzzle, was beautiful and square, with a thick white crimpy wool," he said.

A good portion of the rams sold to repeat bulk buyer Richard Anderson, Broken Hill, NSW, who bought 28 in the main auction to $1200, averaging $832, and at least another eight in the mini auction.

Stewartdale, Naracoorte, also bought in bulk, with six to $2400 - the sale's second-highest price - averaging $1633.

The $2400 ram at lot 25, sired by Collinsville Masterbuilt 138, weighed 105kg with a 40EMD and 7fat, while its 19.3M wool had 2.7SD, 14CV and 99.8CF.

The sale, which was interfaced with AuctionsPlus, was conducted by Elders and Nutrien, with Nutrien stud stock's Gordon Wood the auctioneer.

There was plenty of royal presence in the top line at Radnor for it's on-property auction at Langhorne Creek on Friday.

The sale had returning bidders, as well as two new buyers, but with a major station buyer missing, the clearance did suffer.

All up, 36 of 70 rams were sold under the hammer to a top of $3400 and average $1325, with some more rams sold in private negotiations after.

The top price ram, at Lot 7, was from the Radnor Prince William line, an 88 kilogram ram with 18.1 micron, 2.8 standard deviation, 14.2 coefficient of variation, 99.5 per cent comfort factor, as well as 5.5 millimetres fat score, 35.5mm eye muscle depth and a 105pc greasy fleece weight.

It was bought by repeat clients The Schmidt Family Trust, through AWN Gawler, among its three purchases during the sale.

Gary Schmidt, Kapunda, said they had been buying from Radnor for the past 15 years.

"I've always liked the Radnor wool style," he said.

He said Lot 6 appealed with its bright wool as well as thickness, length and structure of the ram.

The Schmidts run 900 breeding ewes, with this ram - along with the other purchases - to be joined with the top line.

The Schmidts also bought a half-brother - another Prince William son - in Lot 1, with their three rams averaging $2567.

Auctioneer Tom Penna, Elders, said the competition was strong at the top end.

"With a regular station order not operating, it ran out of steam," he said.

"The wools were in very good order and people bought some quality sheep and fair value."

Radnor principal Steve Koehler said he was happy to see a good run of repeat buyers, as well as two new bidders.

"It shows they're happy with what we're doing," he said.

"Our clients are getting good-sized lambs with good, white, nourished wools that test well.

"We're not chasing low micron but stick to good structure and maternal lines."

Mr Koehler said the Prince William line was from their first-ever embryo transfer from one of their best ewes.

"We've got two good families out of that one ewe," he said.

Another line on offer this year - and also featuring heavily in the top line - was Collinsville Emperor.

Among the volume buyers was regular client Lockhaven, Mundulla, which was active early in the catalogue, with five rams to the second highest price of $3000 and an average $1740.

Stewartdale Pty Ltd, Naracoorte, also bought five rams to $1600, averaging $1260.

The sale was conducted by Elders.

WHILE some may consider Friday the 13th an unlucky date, it certainly wasn't for Radnor Poll Merino and Merino last week at Langhorne Creek.

At Radnor's 37th annual field day and auction, a healthy buying crowd competed strongly on the consistent lineup to push the main sale average up a considerable $304 on 2020.

In the main auction, 60 rams of the 70 offered were sold to a top of $3400 and average of $1310, while 23 of 29 rams were sold in the mini auction to a top of $1000 and $604 average.

Nine of the ten horned Merinos in the main sale sold to $1100, averaging $778, while the 50 Poll Merinos sold averaged $1432.

Radnor principal Steve Koehler said the family were pleased with the sale result and accredited the significant average increase to an industry-focused breeding program.

"We think we've been breeding the type of rams people want - big-framed barrelly animals that are early maturing and have crimpy, white wools that test well," he said.

Purchasing the top-priced ram, and receiving a Tridectin drench from Nutrien Ag Solutions Murray Bridge, were Radnor regulars Roger and Gail Duell, Bowhill.

The family have bought at every on-property sale held by the Langhorne Creek stud and run an 1100-head self-replacing Merino flock.

"The $3400 ram is a heavy wool-cutting, big framed ram with nice white wool," Roger said.

"We take a lot of pride in our sheep and we always come here to buy a few rams each year."

The 98.5-kilogram ram, sired by a Hercules family Charinga father, carried a 19.3 micron fleece, with 2.8 standard deviation, 14.5 coefficient of variation, 99.3 per cent comfort factor. It had an eye muscle depth of 43 millimetres and 6mm fat depth.

The sale was interfaced with AuctionsPlus and the platform was responsible for the successful bids on the two second-highest priced rams at $2800.

Rams were sold to buyers from across SA and interstate.

Richard Anderson, Broken Hill, NSW, was the volume buyer once more, successfully bidding on 36 rams across the main and mini auction to a high of $1400 and average of $683.

Buying eight rams to $2400, averaging $1288, was Stewartdale, Naracoorte.

T&V Bolwell, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, secured six rams to $2000, averaging $1317.

Andrew Howard, AM&SK Howard, Truro, bought five rams to a top of $1200, averaging $1000.

Interstate buyer Errol Bishop, Temora, NSW, bought four rams to $1600, averaging $1200.

Hillview Merinos, Mount Pleasant, bought four rams to $1800, averaging $950.

In his opening remarks, Elders stud stock's Tom Penna said the Radnor auction offering was improving in consistency and depth every year, with quality commercial-type rams on offer.

Elders Murray Bridge and Nutrien conducted the sale, with Mr Penna the auctioneer.