ONCE again big-framed, quality woolled Merino and Poll Merino rams sold to high demand at last week's Woodyarrup on-property ram sale.
It was another tremendous result for the stud with 239 of 248 rams offered sold under the hammer to a top of $11,200 and a $2203 average.
This average was up by $104 on what was also a fantastic sale for the stud in 2018.
In a year where seasonal conditions and other factors have seen averages generally drop at most sales this year, an increase in average for Woodyarrup was a testament to the quality on offer and the loyalty of long-term repeat buyers.
Again it was mostly Merinos that were offered in the sale, with 209 of the 248 having horns and these sold to a 100 per cent clearance at an average of $2299.
While Merinos were by far the most popular on the day, a handful of clients were after the quality Poll Merinos on offer and with 39 offered, 30 sold under the hammer to a top of $2800 and a $1537 average.
Top preparation and commitment to genetic improvement is a philosophy of the Woodyarrup stud and this was evident in the sale line-up with the Merino sale team averaging 19.5 micron, 3.0 SD, 15.5 CV, 99.5pc comfort factor (CF) in the wool.
On the carcase side the Merinos averaged 106kg body weight, 162 MP + and 155.12 DP+.
The Poll Merinos posted similar wool results, averaging 19.96 micron, 3.13 SD, 15.68 CV, 99.3pc CF, 106kg body weight, 152.59 for MP+ and 151.16 for DP+.
Once again it was a run of March shorn rams that kicked the sale off with Elders auctioneer Nathan King, who shared the selling duties on the day with Preston Clarke, not having long to wait to set the sale's top price when a large, upstanding ram with excellent wool quality and long staple length penned in lot three hit $11,200.
Repeat Woodyarrup buyers, Greg and Ben Doyle, trading as Wylivere Farms, Corrigin, were the successful bidders on the ET son of Orrie Cowie 140050, a sire that is performing very well in the current Merino Lifetime Productivity Project.
The top price ram was an early August 2018 drop ram that recorded a fleece test of 19.5 micron, 3.1 SD, 15.9 CV and 99.5pc CF.
It weighed in at 119kg and had a 8.8 YWT, a -0.6 YFAT, a -0.9 YEMD, a YCFW of 33, which was in the top 2pc of breed ASBVs and a -1.6 YFD.
Its DP+ of 170.8 put it in the top 10pc on ASBVs and a 179.4 MP+ was in the top 5pc.
Greg Doyle said it was the ram's quality of wool and length of body that prompted him to pay the top money.
"We run a nucleus flock to breed our own rams and this bloke will go over a Peppin-based line of ewes to give them a bit more stretch and frame," Mr Doyle said.
"We have been using Woodyarrup sires for about five years now and we usually buy one or two of the stud's top rams to use.
"We have been breeding our own rams for about 30 years now and generally go for as good a sires as we can afford to keep the quality up.
"We work with Russell McKay (Elders stud stock) who does our classing and gives us advice on our breeding direction."
The Doyles also paid $3600 for a second ram that was found in lot 136 of the sale.
This was a replacement ram that had come out of the Woodyarrup stud reserves and there were plenty of bidders who found it tucked away halfway through the sale.
The March shorn ram was a Woodyarrup Whoppa son and was born in June 2018.
It tested at 20.5 micron, 3.8 SD, 18.5 CV and 99pc CF and weighed in at an impressive 133kg.
It had some impressive ASBVS, including 14.09 for YWT, which was in the top 2pc, 38.91 for YCFW, also in the top 2pc and 177.2 DP+ and 175.8 MP+, both in the top 5pc.
The second top price of the sale was $7600 paid for an ET brother to the top price ram of the sale.
This Merino ram was headed north with the Sutherland family, Arra-dale stud, Perenjori, the successful purchaser.
Ashley Sutherland was at the sale and said they had viewed the ram's sire in Adelaide and were impressed and liked the look of this son.
"He has great structure, good horn set and make and shape," Mr Sutherland said.
"This ram was right up there for fleece weight and had nice white, medium micron wool.
"He is a heavy cutter and is high on the MP+ ASBV."
The ram recorded a wool test of 19.1 micron, 2.5 SD, 13.1 CV and 99.9pc CF.
It was in the top 10pc for YCFW at 25.9 and also for MP+ at 168.4.
Arra-dale also paid $3600 for another Merino ram in the sale to go with rams the stud bought at last year's Woodyarrup sale.
Kicking off the sale was a large-framed ram with good body length and top wool quality in lot one.
The bidding on this ram quickly rose to stop at $5400, which was paid by long-term Woodyarrup client, C & M Gould & Son, Chapman Valley.
This ram was another Whoppa son that tested at 19.9 micron, 3.2 SD, 16.1 CV and 99.8pc CF.
It weighed in at 118.5kg and was in the top 5pc for YCFW at 30.3.
The Goulds also paid $4400 for lot six in the sale and $2000 for the first Poll Merino offered in the sale.
Marshall Gould said they had been buying from Woodyarrup for 15 years and their genetics performed well for them.
"They have nice, lustrous wool and good frames and we really like the combination of that frame and wool," Mr Gould said.
Also at the top end of the sale was Kebaringup Farm, Gnowangerup, which paid $5000 for lot four.
This ram was another Orrie Cowie 140050 son and tested at 16.5 micron, 3 SD, 18.2 CV and 99.9pc CF.
It weighed in at 129.5kg and was in the top 5pc for YCFW at 30.3 and MP+ at 172.
Also going to $5000 was Arethusa Farming, Quairading, for lot nine in the sale.
This Whoppa son tested at 18.7 micron, 3.2 SD, 17.1 CV and 99.7pc CF and weighed in at 124kg.
It excelled on the ASBVs, being in the top 2pc for YCFW at 35.1, the top 5pc for YWT at 10.5 and MP+ at 177.8 and the top 10pc for DP+ at 173.9.
Closeburn Partnership featured early in the sale taking two rams in the first 20 for $4300 and $4000 respectively.
Its top price ram had wool figures of 18.6 micron, 3 SD, 16.1 CV and 99.5pc CF. It was in the top 5pc for YCFW at 30.2 and the top 10pc for MP+ at 169.8.
Other stud activity in the sale came from the Nairnup stud, Munglinup, which bought one ram at $4000, while another repeat buyer TF & RA O'Meehan, Borden, also went to that price for the ram in lot eight.
The top price Poll Merino made $2800 when it was bought by G Shemeld, Beacon, who bought three Polls at the sale in total and one Merino.
The Patmore family, Springhill Farm, Narrogin, made its usual impact on the sale, taking 10 rams to a top of $3800 paid for lot five.
Another to take big numbers was regular Woodyarrup buyer, Morgan Bros, Cranbrook, who bought 15 in total, while Carslake Holdings, Beverley, were also prominent taking 15 also.
Sheep classer Philip Russell was also busy during the sale buying on behalf of a number of clients including Eddington Farming Co, Kojonup, for which he bought 11.
Russell McKay, Elders stud stock, was also busy during the sale buying for clients.
He bought 12 Merinos on behalf of Myoting Plains, Quairading and seven for T & L Wray, Broomehill.
Also featuring heavily throughout the sale was repeat buyer Ramm Family Farming, Dumbleyung, which went away with 10 Merinos, while Rob Davy, Blackboy Hill Farms, Mettler, was also back at the sale to get his usual volume draft taking home 10 Merinos.
Frost and Cave Farms, Kendenup, took seven on the day, including two Poll Merinos and M & JM Sadler & Co, Tambellup, bought eight Merinos.
In the Poll offering, the volume buyer was Wattledale Farm, Woodanilling, which took five to a top of $1800, while Lassogowrie, Cranbrook, went to $2400 twice for its two Polls.
Also taking Polls was Country Peak, Beverley, which bought two at a top of $2500, while Acre Farm, bought four in its total haul of six rams.
Woodyarrup stud principal Craig Dewar was very pleased with the sale result overall.
"We went into the sale mindful of the seasonal conditions and the water situation, which is a bit closer to home than normal," Mr Dewar said.
"There have been ewes offloaded already due to this further east unfortunately and that was in the back of my mind going into the sale.
"But again we were well supported by long-term existing clients and we appreciate their support.
"We also picked up seven new buyers which is also appreciated and four of these came from the Eastern States.
"They had been following the Woodyarrup stud for some time and appreciated our presentation of ASBVs and were keen to buy based on those ASBVs.
"I think this is reward for effort in our focus on following ASBVs and presenting them for clients.
"Figures are not the be all and end all, but they are becoming an increasingly important part of our breeding program and I think that demand for figures will be driven by commercial growers in the future."
