LINES of four-year-old Merino ewes hit a top of $167 at last week’s Wandibirrup Grazing Company flock reduction sale at Beaufort River.
Buyers at the Humphries family sale were greeted with quality, consistent lines of 3-5yo mated Merino ewes and while prices didn’t reach the record heights of sales held earlier in the month, they still reflected the current buoyancy in the sheep market.
Everyone in attendance agreed that the lack of rain in recent weeks had probably restricted prices to some extent, but when 4700 ewes gross almost $800,000 – at an average of $161 – it is pretty hard not to get excited about the future of the WA sheep market.
The ewes were offered, mated to either Suffolk or Merino rams, and were to be pregnancy scanned in the week following the sale, with delivery to be made as of April 28.
All ewes offered were February shorn, drenched with Cydectin in December and backlined off shears with Avenge in late February/early March.
A sample of the ewes weighed 61 kilograms on average with a fat score of 2-4 and their average wool cut was 6.2kg of 19.5-20.8 micron wool. The wool sold for an average price of 1563c/kg clean.
The $167 top was paid twice, with the first line of 350 4yo ewes offered hitting that mark.
These 3-4yo ewes were mated to Suffolk rams and were bought by Karma Downs, Narrogin.
A line of 4yo ewes, also mated to Suffolk rams, also made $167 selling to ME Gibbs & Co, Boyup Brook.
Buyer Mal Gibbs said he had just bought a neighbouring farm and was looking for ewes to stock it.
“They were good quality ewes and I was expecting to pay a bit more than what I did, so I am pretty happy with the lines I bought today,” he said.
Mr Gibbs bought 1050 ewes in total at the sale, paying $164 and $160 for two other lines of 4yo ewes that were also mated to Suffolk rams.
The second top price of $166 was paid for the very last line of ewes offered.
This was a line of 3-4yo Quailerup West blood ewes that were mated to Quailerup West and Centre Plus rams.
They were bought by YJ & MS Beatty, Boyup Brook.
A line of 350 4yo ewes, mated to Suffolk rams, made the equal third top price of $165.
These were bought by Windylane Pty Ltd, Busselton.
The other line to sell for $165 was a draft of 240 3-4yo Quailerup West blood ewes that were mated to Quailerup West and Centre Plus rams.
These ewes were bought by PJ & MW Marinoni, Kojonup.
Kelvin Marinoni said after just running wethers for many years, they had decided to buy in some breeding ewes.
“We were very happy with the price we paid, they are good quality ewes and we probably expected to pay a little bit more than that given what the market has been doing lately,” he said.
VC Pascoe, Arthur River, was also in the market for good ewes and paid $162 for a line of 350 3yo ewes that were mated to Centre Plus rams, while Chris Medcalf, Medcalf Rural Services, paid $161 for a line of 350 3yo ewes also mated to Centre Plus rams.
Three lines of ewes also made $160 with the Smith family, Baboo Pastoral Company, Green Range, paying that amount for two lines of 3yo ewes mated to Centre Plus rams.
Mr Medcalf was the other buyer of a $160 line, with that paid for a line of 350 3yos that were also mated to Centre Plus rams.
One line of 5yo Nepowie blood ewes that were mated to Nepowie rams was also offered and these sold for $150 to R & C Goldsmith, Wagin.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
ELDERS Darkan agent Wayne Peake was very happy with the sale result.
“It is about where we thought the market would be,” he said.
“We have had a dry period through the area and another inch of rain would have certainly helped prices but overall it is a good outcome.
“Congratulations must go to (vendor) Jeremy Humphries on the presentation of the sheep today.”
