PRE-SALE discussions about potential crop yields, rust and frost made way for spirited bidding at the Quairading Stud Sheepbreeders ram sale last week.
A total of 31 buyers registered for the sale and 29 made purchases at the Quairading Greater Sports Pavilion, where prices peaked at $1600 for a Poll Merino ram and $1450 for a Poll Dorset.
The 71-head Poll Merino offering from three studs kicked off the sale and 47 rams were sold under the hammer at an average of $814.
A further 111 British and Australasian Breed rams were offered by five studs, achieving a 94 per cent clearance rate in selling 104 prime lamb sires at an average of $991.
Landmark auctioneer Grant Lupton said it was a very solid sale which reflected the optimism of the season.
He said the strong bidding for the meat breeds reflected the breeding towards meat production in the district.
"There is strong interest in meat production in the district, and there was also an outstanding line-up of genetics on offer," he said.
Mr Lupton said while the Poll Merino bidding was a little bit more subdued, buyers were more selective but still optimistic.
Poll Merino
A well-presented line-up of 55 rams from the Merna Poll Merino stud, Quairading, got the selling underway for the afternoon.
Of those 55 rams, 44 were sold to a shed-high top of $1600 at an average of $828, up $15 on last year and a 20 per cent better clearance rate of 80pc.
The top price was paid for a regulation blade shorn ram in pen two by Darryl Richards, trading as DC Richards & Co, Quairading.
Mr Richards said the ram, which measured 21.1 micron, 3.6 SD, 17.1 CV and 99.1pc comfort factor, was a stand-out in what was a very consistent and even first line of rams.
"I was struggling to pick between them," he said.
A regular buyer from the stud, Mr Richards also bought the ram in pen one, which measured 17.9 micron, 2.6 SD, 14.5 CV and 99.7pc CF.
The rams will be used over his 1700 head mated ewe flock, of which 1200 head are mated to Merino rams, some of which Mr Richards breeds himself, and the remainder to crossbreds.
The first 10 rams offered had been blade shorn and it was two more rams from that selection that also attracted high prices.
Lake Mears, Quairading, paid $1550 for pen six, with measurements of 19.4 micron, 3.6 SD, 18.6 CV and 99.3pc CF, and also snapped up pen 10 for $850.
DC & SF Squiers, East Pingelly, bought pen eight for $1500 which had current test figures of 21.6 micron, 4.3 SD, 19.9 CV and 98.3pc CF, along with two other rams for $800 and $700 each.
The volume buyer of Rohan and Jane Johnston's rams were LA Anderson & Partners, Quairading, who bought 12 rams at an average of $787 and to a top of $1050 twice.
Also busy were KS Eva & Sons, Brookton, buying seven rams at an average of $757, as were M & PI Borona who took seven rams back to Moorine Rock at an average of $664.
Argyle Park Poll Merino stud followed Merna with an offering of eight rams, of which three were sold for $600 each to three different buyers.
Poll Dorset
Bidding on the Poll Dorset section of the catalogue was strong, with the entire offering of 66 rams from two studs sold under the hammer at a very healthy average of $1076, $66 more than last year when 56 rams achieved a total clearance.
The Hathaway family's Longdale Poll Dorset stud put 40 rams up for sale, and all sold at an average of $1080 and to a top of $1450, which was the highest British Breed price for the day.
That was paid by Harry Thorn, trading as JC & SG Thorn, Bruce Rock, for a ram with scan results of 106mm eye muscle width (EMW), 48mm eye muscle depth (EMD), 7mm fat and a liveweight of 124 kilograms.
Mr Thorn paid $1300 for his only other Longdale purchase, the first of the offering that had figures of 104mm EMW, 50 EMD, 5 Fat and liveweight of 117kg.
Mr Thorn said he was looking for size, length and depth in selecting the rams, which would be used over Merino ewes and crossbred lambs.
Longdale once again received strong support from Westcoast Livestock, with Northampton agent Garry Harrison buying 22 rams at an average of $1070 on behalf of four growers in the Northampton region.
This included going to a top of $1400 for the second ram offered with scan results of 104mm EMW, 50mm EMD, 6mm fat and 108kg liveweight.
Also keen to secure some genetics from the stud was AT & MD Pauley, Pingelly, who bought five rams at an average of $1010 and to a top of $1100, and AL Carter & Co, Cunderdin, who bought three rams at an average of $1017 and to a top of $1050.
The demand for the Poll Dorset rams continued as Merna Poll Dorset stud offered 26 rams, selling them all at an average of $1069 which was $141 higher than their average in 2015 when they sold 20.
The top price was $1300, which was paid by Westcoast Livestock in its only purchase from the stud for a ram with scan results of 105mm EMW, 43mm EMD, 10mm fat and 127kg.
The volume buyer from the stud was Carlton Springs, Narrogin, which bought 18 rams at an average of $1072, including to a top of $1250 for a ram with figures including 106mm EMW, 47mm EMD, 6mm fat and 125kg.
LK & LG Beurteaux, Corrigin and EW Richards & Son, Quairading bought three rams each at an average of $1117 and $967 respectively.
White Suffolk
A bigger selection of White Suffolk rams were on offer at Quairading this year, with Yealering stud Acadia joining regular vendors Burrapark and Sasimwa in offering a total of 39 rams, 23 more than last year, of which 33 sold at an average of $867, down $133 on last year.
The Harding family's Burrapark stud got proceedings underway, offering 10 rams and selling five for $600 each.
Three of those rams were bought by GR & SL Mead, Boyup Brook, while the other two were bought by DC Richards & Co, Quairading.
Next was the York-based stud Sasimwa, York and the Cole family offered 14 rams of which 13 sold at an average of $869 to five buyers.
AR & JJ Thorne, Bruce Rock, bought three rams at an average of $900, including the top of $1100 which they paid for a ram withASBVs of 1.3 PEMD, -0.7 PFAT and an index of 176.
Mt Bebb Farms, Shackleton, also bought three rams at an average of $817, as did EC & LJ Hayes, Quairading, at an average of $883.
First-time Quairading vendor Alan and Kelly Manton offered 15 rams from their Acadia stud, Yealering, selling them all at an average of $953.
Prices for the rams peaked at $1100, which was paid by volume buyer Dutarning Pty Ltd, Pingelly while securing six rams at an average of $950.
Also paying to a top of $1100 was Mt Bebb Farms, Shackleton, for one of its three rams from the stud, while K & E Fairhead and Son, Pingelly, bought three rams at an average of $950.
Suffolk
Six Suffolk rams were also offered by the Sasimwa stud, of which five sold at an average of $690.
The top price of $800 was paid by ML & VN Smith, Lake Grace, who also bought another ram for $600.
The remaining rams were purchased by AM & CM Garbin, Bruce Rock, who bought two rams and JH & HF Stone, Quairading, who bought one.
