Latest News

Martin Oppenheimer with Paul Dooley, auctioneer, Tom Henry, Elders Walcha, & Cecilia Oppenheimer with $6,000 top price ram, sold to SA  (photo The Land, Lucy Kinbacher)

Petali Poll Merino ram sale supported by southern buyers to achieve $2,282 average

The support of southern Merino breeders from South Australia & Victoria helped the Oppenheimer family of Petali Poll Merino stud near Walcha defy seasonal odds and better their average during their on-property sale on Thursday.

The $6,000 top price was achieved for the third offering in the catalogue, tag 180666, which was secured by Ryan Kluska, Kiandra Poll Merinos, Bordertown, SA, online through Auctions Plus.

The draft of Petali rams were above breed average across many of the Merino Select breeding values for worm resistance, early growth, fat & muscle and the top price ram was no different.

Guyra based Milparinka Pastoral Co secured a large order of 11 rams averaging $2,818 & topping at $3,500 on four occasions with Veolia Environmental Services, Tarrago, not far behind in securing 9 rams to average $1,583 & top at $4,000.

Making the trip from Dunkeld, Victoria, was repeat buyers Craig & Woody Oliver who had purchased their order online in recent years. But in 2020 they wanted to inspect the rams for themselves and walked away with 6 rams averaging $2,250.

Enjoying a top spring with plenty of dry feed on hand they wanted to support the genetics they had seen success from for at least 10 years. “We were keen to get up and physically see the sheep again but we have a lot of confidence in the Petali breeding so we were looking for high indexing sheep, good conformation and wool cut really” Mr Oliver said. “We have sourced all our Merino genetics from here.”

Petali Poll Merino rams are sought after for their heavy fleeces, high weaning rates and early growth.

Lucy Kinbacher, The Land, 6.2.20, to read the full story click here

Petali ram sale promo video 

Ram Sale Catalogue 2020 now available

Petali Full Ram Sale Catalogue 2020 (4MB)

Petali Poll Merinos on Sheep Genetics

Petali White Suffolks on Sheep Genetics

Premiums for non-mulesed

“Imagine having merinos that do not require mulesing, saving time and stress” said Petali Stud principal Martin Oppenheimer.

“Then you receive price premiums for the fine merino fibre they produce. Imagine having sheep that are resistant to worms and blowflies and imagine having more cash-flow because you can shear them more often. More lambs to sell also.”

All these things are possible, according to Martin whose Walcha based studs are using the latest breeding methods to breed productive sheep that are easier to manage.

“In the Poll Merinos the important traits are: early growth, moderate to high fleece weight, more fat and more muscle, less breech wrinkle and more worm resistance,” he said. “Merinos can have plain bodies with less wrinkle and still be heavy cutting sheep.”

Country Leader, 13.1.20

For more stories see Articles

Petali Poll Merino 150697

Balanced Production, PP, Worm Resistant, Modern Merino

Martin Oppenheimer holding Petali Poll Merino 150697 at the 2017 Petali Ram Sale; David Gowing, Tamworth; David Hallam, Jemalong Wool; Tom Henry, Elders Walcha (photo The Land, Ruth Schwager)

150697 makes Top 50 All Time Lists in 4 Indexes:

DP+   Rank 30 out of 742 Sires

MP+  Rank 24 out of 875 Sires

FP+    Rank 21 out of 719 Sires

WP+  Rank 24 out of 878 Sires

Petali Poll 150697, Sheep Genetics