After the disappointment of last year's Romney Ram sale at Claudelands, when prices were low and many lots passed in, it was thankfully a whole new ball game this year.

Multiple reasons have been put forward for the dramatic upward change in prices. Some consider the good old Romney is coming into favour again. Others are happy that the sheep industry is getting back into profit.

Out of a field of 71 rams, 62 were sold, at an average price of $1590 each. Last year top prices didn't reach that amount. This sale grossed $98,600 and cheered everyone up.

A third possible reason, which showed up in the prices paid, is farmers are finally realising it's not just the number of potential lambs born, but those that make it to market and achieve the best prices there that puts money on the profit line. Recent reports show lamb sales at between $158 and $191. Whether these giddy heights continue is anyone's guess. Maybe the Red Meat Strategy will help there.

But the lurking danger, at least in the North Island and now creeping into the South, is facial eczema. The warmer climate in recent years has seen huge outbreaks, some of which have decimated flocks, even in the King Country and other areas not formerly badly affected. And it's arriving earlier, with clinical eczema showing up by the end of January, which would have been contracted originally around Christmas Day. Even at current prices for sheep meat, putting zinc boluses (time capsules) down every throat is an expensive exercise.

There are some stud breeders who have been paying out big sums of money on breeding and testing for FE tolerance. They've been doing it for years, with no comparable payback at sale times. One breeder says it had cost $1500 to test five rams this year.

While some ideas on what's involved seem a bit vague, even to some a bit suspect, those that know their stuff and can guarantee the product, certainly took out the big prices this year. Top sale price was $4000 and the one of the best known contributors, John Reeves of Waimai, sold 24 rams for an average of $2558 each. He apparently left the sale walking on air.

So when lamb prices are good and there's some money in the kitty, it's obviously worth using FE tolerant rams. They may cost more, but if you end up with a whole flock with increasing tolerance, as each generation of ewes gets bred and then have more healthy lambs getting top prices at market, surely getting the right daddy for them all is a no brainer?