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$5000 Hill Padua sire to first-time buyer

Headshot of Bob Garnant
Bob GarnantThe West Australian

Hill Padua Poll Merino stud’s annual ram sale produced a $5000 top-price first-time buyer at the Thomas family’s on-property venue which is dedicated to producing Multi Purpose Merinos at Three Springs.

Anthony and Geraldine Thomas and their son Adam were all pleased after strong bidding support cleared 113 of the 120 rams on offer at the fall of the Primaries hammer for an average price of $1436.

Before the sale, which offered Merinoselect Australian Sheep Breeding Value percentiles with each ram, Mr Thomas said fertility was the best profitability driver. “These plain-bodied rams can move commercial flocks towards non-mulesing,” he said.

Hill Padua sheep classer Ken Duxson added to the non-mulesed wool appeal with intentions on marketing MPM wool from more than 20 growers as a bulk lot in the near future.

Securing the sale topper and his first pick, Multi Purpose Merinos’ sheep classer Mr Duxson, who was bidding on behalf of Dongara MPM breeder Peter Summers, trading as Green Grove Valley, said the ram would offer outcross genetics to his client’s flock.

“Mr Summers will use the ram in a nucleus flock to breed flock rams for his 5000-head commercial ewe flock,” he said.

Mr Duxson made a confident opening bid on Hill Padua tag 399, which measured 16.2 microns, 5.6 PWT, 9.6 YWT, 1.7 YFAT, 2.5 YEMD, and 159.4 Merino DP+.

Narrogin woolgrower Don Alexander, who trades as Bradscott, bought high ASBVs percentile rams for $4900, $3800 and $3150, to breed flock rams out of a 400 head nucleus.

The Alexander family also takes advantage of Hill Padua’s ASBVs measured meat traits with their 3000-head cross-breeding program with Poll Dorset rams over older Poll Merino ewes producing quality lambs to WAMMCO.

Highbury sheep producer Paul Quartermaine, whose family won the inaugural WAMMCO Producer of the Year competition in August, was also selecting value adding MPM genetics.

Mr Quartermaine bought a total of seven rams to a top of $1100 and average of $843/head to use in production of wool and award winning prime lambs.

Volume buyer Kendal Ballard, who trades as G & RJ Ballard, of Narrogin, was attending the sale for the second time and bought a total of 17 rams to a top of $1500 and average price of $926.

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