Bidders set a new record price of 3,400gn at Bank Farm flock sale over the weekend.
The flock’s third on-farm sale was held on Saturday, July 28, with Marcus and Kathryn Bullock offering rams from their Bank Farm flock of performance-recorded Lleyn sheep.
The sale saw buyers pay an average of £990.00 for 48 rams sold on the day, with a new flock record price of 3,400gn for Lot 13.
The sale, which was administered by Worcester-based auctioneers McCartneys was once again conducted under the unique ‘Helmsman’ system.
The system allows potential buyers to bid at any time during the sale period giving them more time to consider their offers. The prices are put up on a board updated throughout the day.
The day proved to be a great success with potential buyers in attendance from all corners of England, Scotland and Wales, as well as over the telephone from Lleyn breeders in Estonia.
The Estonian breeders had visited the farm only one week before to view this year’s consignment of rams.
‘Better transparency’
Marcus Bullock said: “This concept has now been readily accepted, allowing all buyers the opportunity to bid with confidence on our full offering of rams, in the knowledge that every bid is completely transparent to those attending.
“The feedback from buyers has been extremely complimentary and they completely back the concept.
“The sale once again offered rams with sound Faecal Egg Count (FEC) indexes in order to reduce reliance on worm drenches, and in conjunction with the high indexes available, this attracted a significant number of buyers.
The silent auction style system was once again well received, with eight rams in total going to live auction having reached the maximum silent auction bid of 1,000gns.
Prices on the day
Leading the prices at 3,400gn, was yearling 619/1704431, a twin-born registered ram with an overall index of 212, including outstanding Estimated Breeding Values (EBV) for eight-week weight, scan weight and FEC.
He is bred by 619:01083 out of a seven-year-old homebred ewe.
After a fierce bidding battle with several other interested breeders, he was eventually sold to George Cullimore, for his pedigree Lleyn flock based at Kelston, near Bath.
Hotly-contested at 2,000gn were two more high-index yearlings.
619/1704452, a twin-born ram with a top 1% index of 266, was secured by new breeders Paul and Sarah Eckety.
The pair had travelled from Dorset to make their purchase.
Also selling at 2,000gn, was 619/1704520, a triplet-born ram boasting an index of 220.
The 01083 son was keenly sought by three established breeders but finally went home with Neil Perkins who had travelled from Dinas Island, West Wales.
He had earlier given 1,750 guineas for another twin-born 01083 son boasting an index of 223.
At 1,550gn was 619/1704425, another top 1% ram with an index of 273, part of a final offering from the senior stock ram 619/091904.
This ram will head to the south coast with Bethan and Dominic Klinkenberg.
Following closely behind with a final bid of 1,500 guineas, ram 619/04511 heads to the well-established flock of Lleyn sheep at Harper Adams University in Shropshire – once again sired by 619/01083 out of a six-year-old ewe.
A further two rams went to conventional auction, the first of these being 619/1704494, a twin-born ram with a maternal index of 256, selling to Messrs. Keswick, Rockcliffe Estate near Stow-on-the-Wold for 1,300gn.
‘An unprecedented success’
Auctioneer Clive Roads of McCartneys, Worcester, said the sale had been “an unprecedented success”, with a large number of potential buyers in attendance.
“Marcus and Kathryn are to be applauded for trying something different.
“The interest shown by buyers and potential buyers at the sale is a testament to the work they’ve done in breeding sound, commercially relevant, functional sheep,” he said.
Averages
Yearling rams: £990.00;
Two-year-old rams: £382.50.
