CONSIDERING the downpour across a large area of the agricultural region last week, a good number of buyers were on hand for an offering of just over 4000 head at the Primaries Special Sheep Sale at Katanning last Friday.
The bulk of the yarding came from Primaries' Narrogin agent Brian Barnsby's clients Fred and Jane Shepherd trading as Felspar Pty Ltd.
Easing off on their farming activities, the Shepherds offered their complete ewe flock based on AMS blood, along with their battery of prime lamb sires to which the bulk of the ewes had been joined.
A number of other company clients took the opportunity to also offer a few lines surplus to their requirements.
The first eight lines offered were various aged lines from the Shepherds, with the first draft comprising 532 December shorn, 2.5yo ewes which had been de-pastured with the Poll Dorset rams since December.
Sale auctioneer Jay Macdonald received an opening bid of $135 on the draft and the price quickly rose before being knocked down at $146 to Orrvale Grazing, Kojonup.
A further draft of 177 ewes of the same description went at $136 to Roclea Farm.
The top price of the sale came with the next line offered which consisted of 541 October shorn ewes with the same joining but a year older (3.5yo) and with a bit more pelt. With a start of $145 they were quickly sold at $152 to Elders Narrogin representative Paul Keppel.
A run-off draft of 163 head of the same description went at $139 again to Roclea Farm.
The largest line offered on the day was 666 October shorn, 4.5yo with the same joining and this went to Nigel Hawke, Elders Albany, at $135, as the did the next run off-line of 240 head at $135.
The next two lines of 440 head and 169 head of 5.5yo ewes (same shearing and joinings as the earlier lines) went at $129 and $126, both bought by Peter Sheridan, account Primaries Perth.
Next offered was a small line from MW & KR Francis which consisted of 60 mixed-age, October shorn, Merino ewes of San-Mateo blood which had been running with Poll Dorset rams since December and they went at $136 to a local buyer.
A few lots later from the same clients but somewhat different description, 90 near bare-shorn, White Suffolk-Merino cross, mixed-age ewes running with Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams since December, went to a Corrigin buyer at $120.
Another smaller dispersal, due to the sale of property, saw two lines in from DG & KL Maddams, Collie.
Both lines were October shorn, MPM blood and scanned to White Suffolk and Poll Dorset rams due May onwards.
The first line offered on behalf of the Maddams was made up of 175 head of 4.5yo ewes and these went for the $151, second top price of the sale, when knocked down to Rob Simmons, Simmons Fabrication.
The second line of 315, same description but 6.5yo, went at $127 to Landmark, Katanning.
In from WA & EB Hall was 148 Border Leceister-Merino cross, October shorn, 4.5 and 5.5yo ewes which had been running with Poll Dorset rams since December and these were probably good buying at just $140.
Three other October shorn Merino lines offered account Felspar Pty Ltd were 67 ewes aged 1.5yo which sold for $100; 155 Merino ewe lambs which made $83 and 56 Merino wether lambs sold at $80, all bought on account of Primaries clients.
A draft of 89 shorn Merino wether lambs sold on behalf of a Cuballing client made $87.
The Shepherds' ram battery of 37 head was offered over four lines and sold from $80 through to $99 and in the main went to Livestock Shipping Services while some were bought for breeding purposes.
