PROOF that you don't need a big crowd to make a ram sale and a very successful one to boot, was evidenced at the Kolindale Esperance fixture early last week where prices topped at $3000 for a Poll Merino and $1500 for a White Suffolk.
Although not there in physical force, with at least five regulars absent due to seasonal factors of waning water resources and minimal feed, those that were there provided buying force that saw only six Merinos and two White Suffolks overlooked at auction.
Only 14 trading names appeared on the Elders 2019 buyer's register pre-sale but they accounted for all 35 Poll Merinos offered at a $1746 average, 42 of the 48 Merinos offered at a $1483 average and six of the eight White Suffolks offered at an $1150 average.
This compared to a top price last year of $2900, $1586 average for 44 Merinos sold from 59 offered, $1724 average for a total clearance of 41 Poll Merinos and $805 average for 19 White Suffolks offered and sold.
It reflected buyer appreciation for the quality of the offering presented by the Ledwith family, matching its expectation for quality fine-medium wools on well structured bodies with carcase attributes.
Elders auctioneer Preston Clarke, who kept the pace on throughout the sale, said it was a small crowd but one of enthusiastic, genuine buyers.
"It can be a bit disconcerting standing up in front of such a small crowd but they are good strong regulars here who have turned up despite the season," Mr Clarke said.
"People buying rams today are not incurring a cost, they are making an investment in their business.
"And rams of this quality make it a very sound investment.
"They are very wool conscious buyers down here and when they see rams they like they chase them."
One who came to buy and would not be stopped on the rams of his choice was Condingup farmer Joe Della Vedova, JLW & C Della Vedova, returning after a few year's absence.
He struck the $3000 top price bid, but not until lot 71 for a long, deep bodied Poll Merino with exceptional wool.
Kolindale stud co-principal Luke Ledwith said the ram was from the stud's Kolindale 5 family and related to its stud reserve recently crowned supreme champion at the Katanning Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale and grand champion Poll Merino ram at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo, Victoria.
Mr Della Vedova was impressed with the ram's figures of 17.6 micron, 3.7 SD, 21 CV, 99.6 CF and 7.6 GFW, but even more telling for him was its physical make-up and visual appeal.
As a woolgrower he said he was looking for lustre, wool cut and bright, white fleece with wool of this calibre often hard to find on a Poll, but as a sheep producer he was also wanting frame and a dual purpose type for his 12,500 head Merino self replacing ewe flock.
"I think Luke is doing a great job and that is reflected in his success in the show ring and with the quality of the line-up we have here today," Mr Della Vedova said.
"I wanted to support him because we need to keep youth and particularly enthusiastic, capable youth in our industry.
"We still need old school hands on in this game which he seems to have.
"Your head has to work with your senses in conjunction with technology to get the whole package because people who look at numbers only will lose shape, constitution and structure."
Mr Della Vedova runs a 50:50 sheep and cropping mix which for him was the perfect balance allowing flexibility in the system and better risk management.
"You can drop off part of the cropping program depending on seasons and wool doesn't freeze (in times of frost)," he said.
"Sheep are the biological side of our cropping program helping our soil health and our mental health in a sustainable on-going farming system.
"It's why people have pets because animals help with our psyche and give us a connection," he said.
Mr Della Vedova finished with five rams at a $2100 average.
With input from Elders classer Russell McKay, second top price of $2800 was bid for a Merino by Matthew Lea, M & T Ietto, Shalimah Farms, Grass Patch.
The ram tested 19.6 micron, 3.2 SD, 16.3 CV, 99.8 CF and 6 GFW and was one of seven secured for a $2000 average.
Mr Lea's parents-in-law Michael and Trudie Ietto have been buying Kolindale rams for 35 years and Mr McKay, who has been classing the flock for the past 20 years, said they would have one of the best Kolindale blood flocks in the State.
"We have focussed on a dual purpose type of Merino, so today it was about finding the right wool type on rams with long, thick bodies and good size for use in the 2000 head ewe flock," Mr McKay said.
Like last year, the volume buyer of the day was Simon Fowler, Chilwell, Condingup, who bought 19 Merinos and two White Suffolks.
Mr Fowler, who runs 25,000 ewes, has been buying from Kolindale for 10 years and annually sources about 75 rams privately and at auction from the stud, with part of the attraction being the big numbers they offer allowing plenty of selection.
He has traditionally been a Merino buyer saying their wool quality has generally been better but with the Polls now pretty much on par he was starting to introduce Polls in to the mix.
And because of their coastal climate Mr Fowler was looking for white free growing wool that was not too dense, coupled with rams with some frame about them given they feedlot their own turn-off lambs.
He said pasture availability had been boosted in recent years through the introduction of crop grazing in June and July of two to three weeks for wheat and four to six weeks for canola and some longer wheat varieties, which allowed pastures to get established quicker.
Other volume buyers included DD & EM Wiech, who finished with 10 rams, while PL & LK McCrea, GB & MP Harris and Camlyn Grazing, each bought six.
Two buyers fought it out in the White Suffolk portion of the catalogue with David and his son Adam Milne, Parmango Farm, Condingup, finishing with four of the eight rams on offer at $1600, $1500 and $1100 twice and Simon Fowler, Chilwell, Condingup successful on two.
With 50 per cent of their 2000 breeding ewes mated to prime lamb sires, David Milne said they had bought White Suffolks from Kolindale for the first time last year and had been happy with the performance of the rams and in particular their progeny.
"Their rams have good feet and legs and produced some superb lambs," Mr Milne said.
This year's $1600 category topper had "good length and weight for age plus good feet and legs, so important for walking ability."