$1455 average at Edmonds brothers sale

Long-time commercial clients and some new faces, enjoying the strong sheep markets and widespread favourable seasonal conditions, turned out to support the sale.

And with an extensive quality catalogue of 209 Poll Merino and Merino rams to select from, buyers bid actively through to the final lot to fill their orders and secure the brothers another pleasing sale result.

The Rhamily and Glen-Byrne Poll Merino rams and Mannalea Merino rams each experienced periods of zealous bidding during the sale.

But it was also selective at stages and allowed buyers to operate upwards from $600 with some rams overlooked.

This saw the Landmark team clear 177 or 85 per cent of the slightly increased total offering at auction to average $1455.

Compared to last year's sale, results were mostly improved across the board.

The overall average jumped $65 from $1390 when 174 of 203 rams (86pc) sold under the hammer.

Landmark auctioneer and the brothers' livestock agent Grant Lupton said it was great to see the regular clients and new faces at the sale.

"It was a very good selection of Merino genetics presented by the brothers," he said.

"There was very spirited bidding on the top end of each stud's catalogue with many sheep making over $2000.

"And there were plenty of good quality selections available throughout the sale that sold from $600 to $1000."

Ray and Rhonda Edmonds received some good news before the sale, selling one of their Rhamily stud reserves on display privately for $18,000 to the East Mundalla stud, Tarin Rock, with a semen share to the Manunda stud, Tammin.

While the private sale wasn't announced until after the sale, the Rhamily stud continued its momentum into the auction where its opening run of 27 February shorn rams got the sale off to a flyer selling to $6000 twice and averaging $2556.

With the 75 April shorn rams offered, Rhamily cleared 87 rams (85pc) in total at auction to average $1716.

The average was back $58 compared to last year where 84 of 95 rams (88pc) sold, but still holds up as one of the strongest sale averages recorded this season.

Consistent top-end buyer Owen Edmonds, Corondeen Farming, Calingiri, whose family has been long-time supporters of the Edmonds brothers' studs, again paid among the sale's top prices for his team of three Rhamily rams and two Glen-Byrne rams.

This included the sale's $6100 top price paid for the big Rhamily sire in lot one.

The ram was a son of popular WA sire Rhamily Benny with tests of 19.4 micron, 2.4 SD, 12.4 CV, 99.8pc comfort factor and 77.1pc yield.

Mr Edmonds said they have increased their ewe numbers to 1900 with the top-priced ram and his $5100 top price half-brother from last year set to join 187 best blue tag ewes in their commercial ram breeding nucleus flock.

He said the top ram ticked all the boxes being big and long bodied with a square frame and crimpy, long stapled wool.

Trevor Cooper and his daughter Neetalee, Rose Cottage stud, made the long trek down from Nabawa to secure a new Rhamily stud sire for $6000.

The ram was another powerful Benny son with tests of 19.2 micron, 2.8 SD, 14.6 CV, 99.7pc CF and 81.8pc yield.

Mr Cooper said it had been 15 years between Rhamily sire purchases and he was keen to inject some Benny genetics into the stud and first saw the ram on display at the Dowerin Machinery Field Days.

"It was a very good line-up of sheep on display so we thought we would come have a look at the sale," he said.

"I've had my eye on a couple of Benny sons for a while - he is a square sheep with white medium wool.

"We need that type of wool at the moment - we have some maiden ewes picked out by a Coromandel based Manunda sire for him."

Losing bidder on the top-priced ram was Daniel King, King Farming, Calingiri, whose family is another long-time Rhamily client and regularly bids at the top of the market for their large numbers.

This was reflected in the strong average of $3040 paid by the Kings for their team of 10 rams which included the $4800 top-priced April shorn Rhamily ram with tests of 21.1 micron, 17.5 CV, 3.7 SD and 98.9pc CF.

Wubin graziers PG & PM Nankivell & Son also paid strong values for their six Rhamily rams, outlaying from $2000 to $4600 for one of the earlier penned April shorn rams displaying tests of 21.5 micron, 16.3 CV, 3.5 SD and 99.6pc CF.

Larger Rhamily teams put together on the day included long standing client John Stickland, C & DJ Stickland & Sons, Wongan Hills, who collected 10 rams from $800 to $2100 and one following the sale.

The Glass family, Fenwick Farm, Calingiri, finished with six rams from $600 to $4000 along with PE White & Sons from $1000 to $1700 plus one overlooked ram privately and CG & BC Guthrie, Bolgart, operated from $600 to $1000 for their team of seven Rhamily rams and single Glen-Byrne ram.

Bruce and Carol Edmonds were next up with their teams of 65 Glen-Byrne Poll rams and 42 Mannalea horn rams.

Glen-Byrne numbers were slightly reduced to 65 rams this year with 54 (83pc) selling at auction to an improved average of $1286.

This was up $253 compared to last year's sale where 60 of 71 rams (85pc) were cleared to average $1033.

A run of 10 February shorn rams got the stud underway with Owen Edmonds paying top dollar for his selections and securing the $2700 top-priced Glen-Byrne ram.

The son of Benny tested 19.8 micron, 16.7 CV, 3.3 SD and 99.9pc CF and along with another half-brother Mr Edmonds purchased from Glen-Byrne at the sale, would join a couple of other older Benny sons in a syndicate mating over the best red tag ewes in their nucleus flock.

Mr Edmonds said the ram had good structure with a wrinkle free body and carried long stapled, crimpy, well-nourished white wool.

Other long-time supporters GJ & P Edmonds, Calingiri, selected rams from all three studs to finish with 11 rams including four Glen-Byrne from $1200 to the stud's second top price of $2600 for the February shorn sale team leader with figures of 20.3 micron, 16.3 CV, 3.3 SD and 99.6pc CF.

Thirty five-year plus clients of the Edmonds families Norm and Clint McPherson, Newhome Farm, Moora, who run 1200 ewes mated to Merino and terminal rams, purchased eight rams at the sale from all three prefixes.

Their Glen-Byrne acquisitions consisted of five rams paying from $1700 to $2300 for a February shorn ram testing 21.8 micron, 17.9 CV, 3.9 SD and 98.3 pc CF.

Other bigger Glen-Byrne accounts included IM & KR Siegert, Meckering, with six rams form $900 to $2000 and a single Mannalea ram and M & S Tighe, Clackline, booked up five Glen-Byrne rams from $600 to $1000 to go with four Mannalea rams and a single Rhamily ram.

HM Mitchell & Co, Mingenew, was another buyer to select rams from all three studs with five Glen- Byrne rams from $600 to $1500, two Mannalea's and a single Rhamily ram.

QR & VM Bricknell, Watheroo, paid to $1600 twice for five Glen-Byrne rams to go with their two Rhamily rams.

An increased team of 42 Mannalea rams saw 36 (86pc) sell under the hammer to average $1078.

This was a $46 improvement on last year's sale where 30 of 36 rams (82pc) averaged $1032.

Newhome Farms added two Mannalea rams to their account including the stud's $2200 top-price for one of the six team leading February shorn rams displaying tests of 20.3 micron, 15.8 CV, 3.2 SD and 99.5pc CF.

GJ & P Edmonds paid to $2000 twice for their five Mannalea rams ($600-$2000) which included the sale team leader displaying tests of 21.2 micron, 16.5 CV, 3.5 SD and 99.6pc CF while CR & JA Glass, Calingiri, also took home five rams paying from $600 to $1900.