Mocardy Poll tops Wongan at $2200

Values reached a high of $2200 for a Poll Merino sire and $1800 for a White Suffolk sire as producers bid up strongly on the rams which best suited their operations.

Once again the sale's regular vendors offered a top line-up of 142 Poll Merino, Suffolk and White Suffolk rams from five studs and provided a one-stop-shop outlet for producers looking to satisfy their Merino and prime lamb sire requirements and buyers responded accordingly.

With a more favourable season in the area, solid meat and wool markets and a downturn in grain prices buyers weren't afraid this year to bid up that little bit more or buy that extra ram or two for their sheep operations and as result all the sale figures were significantly up on last year.

Across the fixture 132 of the 142 rams (93 per cent) sold at auction for an average of $1169 and a gross of $154,300.

Compared to last year 121 of 140 (86pc) rams sold at an average of $962 and a gross of $116,350.

Elders auctioneer Don Morgan said it was a good solid sale for the breeders with everything up on last year.

"It is really pleasing to increase both the average and clearance significantly on last year," he said.

"The sale was well supported by mainly local buyers, who have been purchasing from the breeders for a long time.

"The rams presented very well and I believe the quality on offer is getting better and better every year which is a credit to the vendors."

Local Elders agent Jeff Brennan was equally as happy with the result and said it was a good solid sale with good support from regular local buyers plus a handful of new buyers.

"The season is more favourable this year and combined with the strong meat and wool markets and below average grain in prices producers in the area appear to be holding back an extra mob of ewes," Mr Brennan said.

"This meant regular buyers were looking for more rams and with the added competition of a couple of new buyers it meant there was strong competition throughout the catalogue compared to last year which resulted in a very good sale for the breeders."

Poll Merino

The Poll Merino run as always got the sale underway and the rams on offer from the three local studs didn't disappoint.

Between the three studs they offered 82 Poll Merino sires and by the end of the run 78 had been cleared under the Elders' hammer to a top of $2200 and an average of $1213, up by $246 compared to last year when 78 of 92 rams sold for a $967 average.

The Millsteed family's Mocardy stud, Wongan Hills, continued its recent dominance of top price honours and again claimed the title selling the $2200 sire to cap off an overall strong result for the stud.

Mocardy cleared its 24 rams at an average of $1200, which was up $67 on last year, when it sold 24 rams at an average of $1133.

The $2200 top-priced ram, like last year, was purchased by neighbour Lyle Oliver, LK & DL Oliver, Wongan Hills.

The sale topping, well-balanced Poll ram was from a Mocardy syndicate mating and had current wool figures of 18.9 micron and 99.6pc comfort factor.

Mr Oliver said they had been buying rams from the stud for about five years as they focus on switching their flock back to pure Merinos.

"We really like the wool type Mocardy is breeding," Mr Oliver said.

"They also have big frames and are heavy wool cutters.

"The top ram we got is a big-framed ram with a quality wool and plenty of wool cutting ability."

Along with securing the top-priced ram Mr Oliver also purchased another four Mocardy sires to finish with an average of $1620 across his team of five.

This year they will mate 900 ewes to Merino sires but their aim is to get up to running 1000 Merino ewes in coming years.

The volume buyer in the Mocardy run was again return buyers SA & VM Macnamara, Cadoux, who left their bidding to Mr Brennan.

Mr Brennan finished with a team of six for the Macnamara family at an average of $1017, which included two rams at $1200.

Elders stud stock representative Kevin Broad operated on behalf of regular Mocardy buyers BJ & SW Driscoll, Ballidu, securing five rams at an $1180 average and to a top of $1600 for the Ballidu operation, while P &T Latham, Wongan Hills and Narra Farms Pty Ltd, Ballidu, averaged $1133 and $1000 respectively over three sires.

The Kelly family's Northwich stud was next to sell in the run with a team of 30 Poll Merino sires and by the end of their offering they had cleared 27 at an average of $1448 - the best in the sale.

This was up $448 on last year when they sold 28 of 36 rams at a $1000 average.

The Northwich stud's $2100 top price was reached twice, the first time was when return buyer TR & AJ Sermon, Ballidu, bid to this value on a deep-bodied, white woolled bale filler.

The upstanding, long-stapled ram had current wool figures of 21.4 micron, 3.9 SD, 18.2 CV and 99.3pc CF.

The Sermons also purchased another three Northwich sires at the top end to finish with an average of $1725.

Securing the second ram to hit $2100 in the Northwich run was D & E Whyte & Sons, Ballidu.

They bid to this value for a stretchy, deep sire which had wool figures of 19.4 micron, 4.0 SD, 20.6 CV and 99.3pc CF.

The Whytes also purchased a second Northwich sire at $1400.

Return buyers RJ & J Lego, Cadoux and Balkonn Farms, Wongan Hills, were the biggest buyers in the Northwich run securing teams of five at averages of $1120 and $1480 respectively.

Other strong supporters were Alkoomi Farms, Ballidu, which averaged $1700 across a team of three and Danubin Farm, Wongan Hills, which finished with a team of four at a $1400 average.

The Westlake family's Dabrappy stud rounded out the Poll Merino offering with a team of 28 sires and it cleared 27 under the hammer to a top of $1700 (twice) and an average of $989, which was up $212 on last year when it sold 26 from 32 at a $777 average.

The first ram to make $1700 was the stud's lead ram when it was purchased by return buyer Kanara Investments Pty Ltd, Calingiri.

The upstanding, deep-bodied ram measured 20 micron and 99.5pc CF and was just one of five purchased by the Calingiri operation at an average of $1120.

Taking home the second $1700 Dabrappy sire was regular buyer RW & GM King, Calingiri.

The Kings paid this value for a 21.2 micron and 99.1pc CF ram.

They also purchased another four Dabrappy sires to finish with a team of five at an average of $1100.

Bindi Bindi buyer MC & JA King, were the volume buyers from Dabrappy finishing with a team of six rams at an average of $1033, while both L & O Turner & Sons, Bindi Bindi and G & J Castledine, averaged $850 and $825 across teams of four.

Prime Lamb Sires

Following the Poll Merino offering the sale swung into the catalogue of prime lamb sires and here two vendors offered up 60 Suffolk and White Suffolk rams.

By the end of the run the studs had cleared 54 under the hammer to a top of $1800 and an average of $1106, which was up $154 on last year.

In comparison last year the same two studs sold 43 rams from 48 offered at an average of $952.

The Glass family's Fenwick Farm stud was the biggest vendor in this section of the sale offering 40 Suffolk (15 head) and White Suffolk (25 head) sires and sold all of them with the averages of $1027 for the Suffolks and $1252 for the White Suffolks.

This is also where the $1800 top-priced ram was found, when a long, well-muscled White Suffolk sire was knocked down to fellow vendor and return buyer of five years David Millsteed, Daybron Farms, Wongan Hills.

Mr Millsteed, who mates 2000 ewes to White Suffolk ewes, said the ram was a deep-bodied sire with a meaty hindquarter.

"We try to turn half our lambs off as suckers and the other half are either put the through a feedlot or run on stubbles before they are sold," Mr Millsteed said.

"This year we have already sold off 1000 lambs at four-months-old weighing 22kg dressed to WAMMCO."

Along with the top sire, Mr Millsteed also purchased two other White Suffolks from Fenwick Farm at $1400 and $1300.

Danubin Farm was the biggest buyer of the Fenwick Farm White Suffolks purchasing six at an average of $1117, while KJ & RP Siegert, Wongan Hills and BR & BJ Smith, Wannamal, averaged $1533 and $1550 over teams of three.

The top price in the Fenwick Farm Suffolk offering was $1400 twice and both these sires plus another at $1100 were knocked down to Mr Brennan who was purchasing on behalf of Harding Sawyer Co, Dalwallinu.

Other multiple Fenwick Suffolk buyers were M & N Brennan, Yerecoin, who averaged $1000 across a team of four, while UP Sheep Husbandry, Yerecoin and SA & VM Macnamara, secured three at averages of $1000 and $900.

The Lane family's Lynburn Suffolk stud offered 20 sires and cleared 14 under the hammer to a top of $1300 and an average of $929, which was up $85 on last year.

Geraldton producers EJ & LK Sewell purchased the stud's $1300 top-priced ram which had ASBVs of 7.3 WWT, 11.4 PWWT, 0.8 PEMD and a CarcasePlus index of 167.6.

The Sewells also purchased a second Lynburn sire at $1000.

The volume buyer in the Lynburn run buying with the assistance of Landmark Carnamah representative Tom Page was GJ & TA Tapscott, Morawa, who purchased six rams to a top of $1100 (twice) and an average of $917.

Three Springs operation HM Mitchell & Co, was another good supporter securing three sires at an average of $867.