Lleyns sell to 1,650gns in silent auction

Performance recorded rams sold to a top price of 1,650gns at a unique ram sale held on-farm at Abberley, Worcestershire, on behalf of Marcus and Kathryn Bullock, at the weekend (30 July).

The sale, which saw bidders compete in a silent auction known in New Zealand as a Helmsman sale, saw averages hit £726.83 for 45 rams sold on the day.

Mr Bullock said the sale had been a great success with potential buyers in attendance from Belgium and Denmark and rams selling to all corners of England, Scotland and Wales.

“A significant number of buyers were looking for sheep with good FEC indexes in order to reduce reliance on anthelmintics and this allied to the high maternal indexes on offer drew a number of buyers to the sale,” said Mr Bullock.

Leading the prices at 1,650gns was shearling, 619:1502973, a twin-born registered ram with a maternal index of 213 and a carcass index of 245. He’s fully home-bred on both sides and sold to the Nelless family, Loghorsley, Morpeth.

Second best at 1,450gns was 619:1503095, a triplet-born ram with a maternal index of 200 and a carcass index of 193. Again he was pedigree registered and home-bred on both sides. Buying this one were the McGowan family, Blairgowrie, Perthshire.

Then at 1,200gns was another bought by the Nelless family. This was 619:1503079. Sired by the same home-bred ram as the 1,450gns sale, he sold with a maternal index of 223 and a carcass index of 224. He was again a registered ram which sold for pedigree use.

A two shear then sold at 1,150gns, with this being 619:1402546. He is by a 7,000gns ram bought from Carlisle in 2011 and out of a home-bred dam. This one carries a maternal index of 205 and a carcass index of 219 and sold to Messrs Geen, South Molton, Devon, with the proceeds of this sale being split between Cancer Research, The County Air Ambulance and the Addington Fund.

A further two rams sold at 1,000gns, with the first of these being 619:1502978, a twin-born ram with a maternal index of 214 and a carcass index of 225. He went to Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire.

Second at this price was 619:1503002, a twin with a maternal index of 227 and a carcass index of 303. He was bought by Heritage Farms, Oxhill, Warwickshire. This was one of six rams bought by Heritage Farms to breed replacement females in their large scale commercial flock.

Averages: Shearling rams £777.57, two shear rams £492.19.

(McCartneys).