FOR regulars to the annual Golden Hill ram sales at Kukerin big things had happened for this year's fixture.
The shearing shed used for the ram sale had been enlarged somewhat to cater for the extra number of White Suffolk rams being offered however co-studmaster Ross Ditchburn also commented the extra penning space was also handy for shearing and livestock handling purposes.
Having a couple of years ago sold their Afrino stud they were running, after last year's sale Ross and Nathan Ditchburn said they would be breeding up their White Suffolks and Poll Merinos as there is obviously a good demand for both types from those committed to the overall sheep industry.
The big increase in numbers catalogued for this year's sale was in the White Suffolk offering with 139 penned compared to 120 last year.
Merino and Poll Merino
Elders sale auctioneer Preston Clarke got proceedings underway with an offering of 14 Merino and 26 Poll Merino rams and it was the second last Poll Merino which topped this section of the sale at $2900 when it was knocked down to Ryan Taylor, GJ & TJ Taylor trading as Krool Holdings, Kukerin Mr Taylor also purchased a further three Poll Merinos as well as two Merinos up to $2000.
Mr Taylor said the family runs about 1000 ewes joined to Merinos and the best of these will be put to the top-priced ram and a further 1800 ewes are joined to White Suffolks, while a further 500 ewes are mated to Prime SAMMs.
Two other regular Golden Hill clients were again the volume buyers in this section of the catalogue with Wayne Tapscott, DJ Tapscott & Co, Pingrup, paying up to $2000 twice in his purchase of 10 Poll Merinos, while Rohan Willcocks, RM & HD Willcocks & Son, Pingrup, went home with nine from the Merino offering with one also to a top of $2000.
Three Polls, one at $2000 and one Merino went to regulars H & R King, Kukerin, and again three Polls, one at $2000 and one Merino went another regular, JW Mitchell, Pingaring.
The average price of the offering of Poll Merinos was up by $304 on last year, while the Merinos were back slightly by $39 on last year's result.
White Suffolk
Two years ago Brian Barrows, BW & DA Barrows, Borden, and his stud adviser John Banks bought the second top-priced ram and last year against some keen bidding in the shed and over the phone went to $4100 to secure the top-priced ram.
Back again this year Mr Barrows and Mr Banks had their eyes on the first White Suffolk to be offered and without the same competition as last year secured the ram of their choice for $3000 and went on later to purchase another youngster at $1300.
Commenting on their recent purchases, Mr Banks said they were very pleased with the progeny of both the rams purchased from Golden Hill in the past two years and their new sire going back to Rockdale 56, AI bred from Anden 276 will be joined to top ewes in the 80 head stud flock.
ASBVs for this top ram were 0.45 BWT, 10 WWT, 14.8 PWT, -0.8 Fat, 1.2 EMD and 192 CarcasePlus.
Rams from their stud operation are used over a 1400 head commercial Merino flock.
The first draft of this year's lambs 220 head sold three weeks ago returned $149.20 per head and another 500 sent recently averaged $135.
Mr Barrows also has the intention to slowly build up his number of stud ewes to meet with commercial enquiries.
Other higher prices saw three rams sell at $2300, one going to Allan Willmott, AM & TL Willmott, Tambellup, with Ryan Taylor, Krool Holdings, Kukerin, also paying this figure for one of eight rams purchased.
Damon Leo, Garryowen Farming Co, Kukerin, was the other to pay $2300 for one of four head purchased.
Another sold at $2200 and was one of two purchased by long-term clients PW & LF Adams, Kukerin.
The volume buyer on the day was also a first time client of the stud.
Bevan Ravenhill, BA & RN Ravenhill, Youngs Siding, who breeds Angus cattle is a great advocate of EBVs and having checked out those of the Golden Hill White Suffolk offering along with the depth of pedigree made the trip up to the sale and was very pleased with the quality of the offering.
He went on to buy 15 rams from the catalogue to a top of $1900 twice and said they will be used over Border Leicester-Merino cross and straight Merino ewes, with the aim of selling the progeny off as prime lambs or feeder lambs.
Another 15 went to Kelvin Holmes, Pingrup, and there were numerous buyers who went home with between five and seven head each.
Commenting on the overall result Nathan Ditchburn said it was a very good result considering the increase in the number of White Suffolks offered based on last year's result and this year saw an increase in demand from a number of regular clients. He said it was also pleasing to see three first time buyers in attendance.
Elders stud stock manager Tim Spicer said given the increase in numbers it brought the overall average back and gave buyers the opportunity to purchase more rams within their budget.
