BUYERS let an opportunity to purchase quality Poll Merino and Merino rams slip through their fingers at last week's Ejanding on-property ram sale at Dowerin where prices hit a high of $2900.
Despite the wool market rising significantly last week it was not enough to lift buyers' confidence and encourage them to bid up at the Jones family's Ejanding sale after a dicey season in some areas of the Wheatbelt.
This reduced confidence certainly had an impact on the sale in terms of the average and clearance which were both back on last year.
By the end of the sale the agents had cleared 141 rams of the 158 offered under the hammer for an average of $823 which was on par with pre-sale expectations.
In comparison last year the sale averaged $1081 for 164 sold out of 178 offered.
Both Elders auctioneer Don Morgan and Landmark auctioneer Terry Norrish agreed the quality of the ram line-up was very good and it was a reasonably buoyant sale given seasonal conditions in the area.
Mr Morgan said the quality of rams on offer was very good and continues to improve every year but unfortunately this year there was just a reduced number of buyers attendance.
"The reduced number of buyers and those present not wanting as many rams resulted in reduced competition," Mr Morgan said.
Mr Norrish said despite the challenging seasonal conditions there was still very good support from regular buyers in the Wheatbelt areas.
"Buyers were selective in their purchases and the better rams reached good values," Mr Norrish said.
With an upstanding, March shorn Poll ram catalogued in pen one and showing all the characteristics of a top sire prospect it didn't take long for the day's top price to be reached.
The ram created a flurry of interest before being knocked down to the first time buyers the Storer family, Cadonia Park stud, Cunderdin.
The 114kg ram had June wool tests of 20.4 micron, 2.9 SD, 14.2 CV and 99.7 per cent comfort factor.
The big, plain-bodied ram was by Lancelot 5127 and had ASVBs of 11 for YCFW, -1.0 for YFD, 4.9 for YWT, 0.1 for YFAT, 0.0 for YEMD and indexes of 143 for DP+ and 144 for MP+.
The Storers decided to purchase the ram after inspecting it at the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days.
They were impressed by its structure and believed it would complement the stud's breeding strategy.
"He possesses a sound constitution and structure," Cadonia Park stud principal Bruce Storer said.
"He is a very deep chested ram with good carcase traits which is what we are looking for as there is now more money in the meat side of the business.
"For his body weight he also has a great wool and this combination of the two is hard to find."
The next best price in the Poll run was $1800 and this was paid twice by two buyers who selected small teams at the top end.
The first to pay $1800 was Richie and Travis Robert, GL Robert, Goomalling, who secured a 107kg, long-bodied ram which carried a wool with excellent character and softness.
It had August wool figures of 20.9 micron, 3.5 SD and 99.3pc CF and indexes of 156 for DP+ and 149 for MP+.
The pair also paid $1500 and $1250 for their other two purchases.
Also paying to a top of $1800 for their three purchases was the Avery family, EL & MS Avery, Cadoux.
Their $1800 sire was a deep-bodied, rich woolled ram which weighed in at 102kg and had August wool figures of 19.4 micron, 3.5 SD and 99.7pc CF.
In terms of indexes it recorded values of 144 for DP+ and 145 for MP+.
When it came to their other two sires the Averys secured them at $1500 and $950.
Also paying at the top end of the scale was return buyer LV & EM Dodd & Sons, Wongan Hills, who purchased two sires in the front row both at $1500, while first time buyer Russ Macpherson, Miljanna Grazing, Wubin, secured four rams to a top of $1450 and an average of $1025.
Securing a ute load of eight rams at good values with the assistance of Landmark Wongan Hills agent Grant Lupton were return buyers Neville and Kay Frearson, Wongan Hills.
The Frearsons, who run 1300 Merino ewes with 1000 mated to Merinos and 300 to Dorpers, paid to a top of $1300 twice and averaged $1038.
Also bidding strongly and securing five poll rams was Sharman Farms, Cadoux.
The Cadoux operation paid to a top of $1100 and averaged $970, which was above the sale average.
The volume buyer in the Poll run and the sale in general was the Emmott family, WA Emmott, Ejanding, which purchased 18 sires to a top of $650 and an average of $539 with the assistance of Landmark Wyalkatchem livestock representative Alby Holdsworth.
Like in the Poll Merinos it didn't take long for buyers to pick out the top Merino sire when a flurry of bidding came in to the auctioneering team for the fifth ram offered.
After a flurry of bids on the long-stapled, white woolled ram it was knocked down at $1800 to return buyer Shaun Sparkman, Shanandale Pty Ltd, Perenjori.
Mr Sparkman, who had been buying at the stud since the Jones family purchased the Parklands stud, said it was the ram's body size with matching wool quality which were its standout features.
The upstanding 104kg ram had August wool figures of 19.7 micron, 3.9 SD, 19.8 CV and 99.8pc CF and ASBVs of 22 for YCFW, -1.9 for YFD, 3.0 for YWT, -0.3 for YFAT and -0.9 for YEMD as well as indexes of 135 for DP+ and 143 for MP+.
Along with securing the top-priced Merino ram, the Sparkmans, who mate 2000 ewes all to Merinos, went on to be the volume buyer in the Merino run.
By the end of the Merino catalogue Mr Sparkman had secured 13 rams at an average of $1185.
Along with paying $1800 for the top ram he paid $1600 for a 105kg ram which measured 19.9 micron, 3.2 SD and 99.8pc CF in August and had a MP+ index of 155.
Securing eight Merino sires to a top of $1500 and an average of $825 were long-term buyers the Jones family, RE & WK Jones, Dowerin, while fellow return buyer Murray Siegert, M & F Siegert & Co, Goomalling, averaged $625 and paid to a high of $900 for his team of eight Merinos.
Rounding out the volume buyers in the Merino run was repeat buyer Ian Kerr, IA & CA Kerr, Coorow, who purchased seven sires to a top of $1250 and an average of $700.
