Incheoch ram sale averages £1,010

The Incheoch Working Genes on-farm ram sale held at the foot of Glenisla drew a packed ringside of buyers for the McGowan family’s naturally reared Texel and Lleyn shearling rams.

The sixth annual event drew bidders from Shetland, Wales, Ireland and all points between including many regular buyers along with a number of new ones who were paying particular attention to figures.

David Leggat of United Auctions was once again in the rostrum. In total 76 rams sold for an average of £1,010, up £178 on the year.

In breed terms 34 Texels sold to a top of 2,000gns and to average £986.69 with 42 Lleyns topping at 2,400gns and averaging £1,028.25.

The Texel leader was a top 1% index ram selling to Caithness.  Buyer, Ian Campbell, Todholes (who bought the sire, Sundance, at last year’s sale) said that he was so impressed with the lambs from the father that he did not want to miss the chance of his first choice son.

For the same reason, Rosebury Estates bought two Lleyns to average 2,000gns including a son of the sale topper they purchased last year.

Jamie Gammell of Glenisla was again the volume buyer, taking four Texels and three Lleyns to average 1,100gns. All had pedigrees within the top 10 % indexes.

The highest maternal EBV Lleyn ram sold close to the end of the sale for the top price of 2,400gns to Robert Johnston and Sons of Falkirk.  This shearling, Incheoch Buzz, had been used by the McGowans as a lamb, with progeny on view, and the Johnstons were anxious to purchase a ram that would inject high maternal traits into their pedigree flock.