AN outstanding season for most, strong sheep meat and wool prices and buying competition from the Eastern States generally resulted in excellent returns for vendors at the Elders Corrigin and Wickepin Circuit sheep sale on Monday.
Just over 9300 mainly young quality ewes were offered between both saleyards with an additional 2100 lambs also penned at Corrigin.
Given the season experienced last year compared to this year's quite exceptional one, and with the demand for quality breeding sheep, some vendors at both centres who offered annual drafts saw prices paid for their lines of ewes up by $30 to $50 on last year.
Corrigin
It will be a memorable sale for Elders Corrigin representative Tony Douglass along with it being his last sale at that centre before he transfers to Elders Esperance very shortly. Prices were strong throughout.
It was decided by Elders that if clients agreed their offerings would be put up on AuctionsPlus and this resulted in 15 of the ewe lines offered at Corrigin being assessed by Tony Douglass. Very comprehensive details were put up through AuctionsPlus and it was worth it with strong competition on a good number of these lines offered.
The sale auctioneer was Dean Hubbard, his son Jarrad on the mobile taking AuctionsPlus bids at both centres.
First offered at Corrigin was a run of 10 lines of 1.5-year-old ewes with many of the lines from Corrigin clients.
The second line offered, 159 July shorn, Manunda blood hoggets from MA & BJ Szczecinski, sold at $162 to AuctionsPlus, with the losing bidder being a prime lamb producer from Kojonup.
The next line, 329 July shorn Claypans blood ewes from Chas Hewett & Co, looked to have topped the sale when they were also knocked down to AuctionsPlus at $163, the losing bidder was also on AuctionsPlus.
Next, 259 September shorn Claypans blood ewes from AJ & MA Curnow & Co, Ardath, went at $146 to Elders Kellerberrin agent Adrian Gamble bidding on behalf of an Eastern Wheatbelt buyer with four lines totalling just under 1000 head going that way.
The fifth line offered was another standout line, 449 August shorn F3 Dohne infused ewes which have been based on Chirniminup blood for 10 years.
This line was offered by the Pegrum family, Rockwell Farms, Kondinin and spirited competition from within the yards and AuctionsPlus by phone saw the line finally knocked down at $164 to Scott and Matt Cunningham, ML & BM Cunningham, Pingelly, who will join the ewes to Poll Dorset rams.
Losing bidders on this line were Peter and Jim Johnston, MM & MJ Johnston, Boyup Brook, who are regular buyers of replacement ewes from this region for prime lamb production.
Another line of 133 July shorn, Performance bred blood ewes from J Poultney & Co, Corrigin, also went to AuctionsPlus at $140.
The five lines of older ewes which had also been assessed all stayed in WA.
The first line of 260 February shorn 4.5yo Eastville blood ewes from WG Young & Co, Kondinin, sold at $146 to the undisclosed eastern Wheatbelt buyer who also bought their older sisters, 181 head, same shearing and breeding at $141.
Another line of 272 July shorn, 5.5yo Trevino blood ewes from Trevino Farm, Marvel Loch, went at $116 to GJ & TJ Taylor, Kukerin.
Two other lines of 5.5yo, both September shorn saw one of 228 head F1 Prime SAMM cross sell at $109 while one line of F1 Afrino infused made $94.
Also offered account Trevino Farms was the first pen of wether lambs, the 278 head of July shorn Trevino blood lambs sold at $100 to Dunara Farms, Wagin.
All but one other smaller line of lighter lambs in the next nine lines offered all went to Livestock Shipping Services.
Values paid ranged from $86 through to $100 which was paid for 250 mixed sex unshorn crossbred lambs from D & C Richards & Co.
Another 416 wether lambs which were September shorn and based on Rutherglen blood from AL & S Crossland made $92, while two lines of 195 and 222 Rutherglen blood unshorn wether lambs offered by T & D Hughes both made $91.
Two larger lines of 275 and 283 head both made $89, again all a nice increase on last year's prices.
Wickepin
A good number of the 67 potential buyers who registered for the Corrigin leg of the sale also moved on to Wickepin taking their buying cards with them and with further new registrations there overall, there were just under 100 registrations on the day.
It was another quality offering that came in from local areas as well as a good number of lines from producers in the Lake Grace and surrounding area, who also regularly support the sale.
The offering of just over 6000 ewes was comprised of 18 drafts of 1.5yo ewes, two lines of 2.5yo ewes and one line of 5.5yo ewes.
First offered was the annual draft from GT & B Poultney, Pingelly, the 395 head of August shorn, Strath-Haddon blood ewes and with keen competition this line was eventually knocked down at $164 to the losing bidders on the top line at Corrigin, Peter and Jim Johnston, MM & MJ Johnston, Boyup Brook.
The Johnstons then went on eight lines later to bid to $163 to secure 230 September shorn, Wallinar and East Mundalla blood 1.5yo ewes from AT & D Morgan, Tarin Rock.
However, the top price of the sale didn't come until the fourth last pen of young ewes was offered and when auctioneer Dean Hubbard stood over them he made the comment they should have been much further up in the catalogue.
The line of 205 September shorn, Nepowie blood, 1.5yo ewes was the annual draft from Bruce and Dawn Jensen and son Matt, Jensen Holdings, Pingaring and strong bidding from a number of sources eventually saw the line sell at $171 to a client of Elders Narrogin agent Paul Keppel, who will join the ewes to White Suffolk rams.
The losing bidders were again Peter and Jim Johnston, Boyup Brook.
Bruce Jensen commented after the sale that he was very pleased to be part of such a great offering of quality sheep.
The largest offering of 823 August shorn Kolindale/Lewisdale blood ewes was the complete drop from Beau Tyson, AD & PA Tyson, Kulin.
They were offered in drafts of 200 and at $162 Westcoast Livestock Hyden representative Lincon Gangell took 400 head.
The balance was then put up with another 200 head going at $161 to Priestley Nominees before the balance finally went at $158 to AuctionsPlus.
Other higher prices saw 333 August shorn, Mianelup blood ewes from Woodford Pastoral Co, Nyabing, sell at $152 to Windorah Farms, Wickepin, while a line of 121 big framed August shorn, East Mundalla blood ewes from J & L McDonald, Newdegate, also went at $152 to Green Family Trust, Westdale.
The second largest draft offered was of 563 August shorn, Rutherglen blood 1.5yo ewes from PJ & EJ Doyle, Corrigin and these went as one line at $137 to AM Littleton & Son, Boddington.
Another large draft of 374 April shorn, Nepowie blood ewes in from J C & N Lay & Son, Lake Grace, sold at $147 to TG & VM Medlen, Williams.
The Medlens also purchased 270 July shorn, East Mundalla and Mianelup blood ewes at $140 offered by AK & AJ Mead, Lake King.
In again for the sale from Hyden, BW James & Sons, bought one of the larger lines, 428 August shorn, Barloo and Rutherglen blood ewes at $141 from Morlup Nominees, Pingaring.
Landmark Mt Barker agent Harry Carroll was there with clients and was the losing bidder on the first line offered which sold at $164, however later he did secure a line of 229 September shorn, Collinsville blood ewes from AG & AM Carmody, Kulin, at $143, for Watterson Estate, Tenterden.
He also secured a further line for Cluett & Sons, Mt Barker.
Of the three lines of older ewes from Hotham Flats Farming, Cuballing, 356 August shorn, AMS/Borondi blood 2.5yo maidens went to K & LM Bradford & Sons, Kulin, at $130 while AG & FM Borthwick, Narrogin, sold their draft of 156 2.5yo September shorn, Mianelup blood ewes at $125 to Lime Peaks Grazing, north of Perth.
Finally, from the same vendors as the top priced line of the day, Jensen Holdings, Pingaring, 182 September shorn, Nepowie blood 5.5yo ewes went at $138 to AD & RE Marshall, Lake Grace.
