THE State's newest sheep breeds gave a timely boost to the shedding breeds overall results and finish the 2019 ram selling season on a high.
Amid average seasonal conditions and a strong swing to wool growing breeds on the back of a significantly improved wool market in recent years, the shedding breeds demonstrated their resilience and ability to perform in tough conditions and take advantage of the buoyant lamb and mutton markets.
This appeared to be reflected in this season's ram sale results.
Eight breeders representing seven shedding breeds almost mirrored last year's numbers in terms of rams offered and clearance.
But a couple of cracker sales from the seedstock industry newcomers saw the overall average improve by $133.
This year 564 Dorper, White Dorper, Australian White, Kojak, UltraWhite and SheepMaster shedding rams were offered at auction at nine different WA country sales.
And at the end of selling a total of 478 rams were sold under the hammer at a clearance rate of 85 per cent, grossing $865,350 and an average of $1810.
This was extremely similar to last year's results where 477 of 570 shedding rams sold at auction (84pc clearance) to gross $799,750 and average $1677.
SheepMasters claimed the $8000 top-priced honours and shared the $7000 equal second top price with the UltraWhites.
Dorper
Dorper breeders offered and sold an increased number of rams this year.
While this had a negative effect on the breed's overall average by $304 compared to last year, the sale average of $1170 was still the third highest average achieved by Dorper breeders in the past decade.
The Douwana stud, selling at the Chapman Valley Breeders sale, with the Ida Vale and Kaya sales collectively offered 129 rams with 117 rams selling under the hammer (91pc clearance) to gross $136,900 and average $1170.
Last year Dorper breeders sold 108 of 114 rams at auction (84pc clearance) to gross $159,150 and average an impressive $1474, the highest Dorper average recorded since 2009.
Individually the Douwana stud, Yuna, claimed the season's top average of $1296 followed by the Kaya stud, Narrogin, at $1139.
But the only Dorper stud to improve their sale average from last year was the Ida Vale stud, Kojonup, with a $216 improvement.
The Kaya stud notched up a total clearance of its sale team of 49 rams while Douwana also chalked up a strong clearance of 94pc with 47 of 50 selling at auction.
This year's top-priced Dorper ram honours went to the Douwana stud selling a ram for $3000 to Landmark Carnamah representative Tom Page who relayed the final phone bid from Tamesha Gardner, Ida Vale stud.
The ram's breeding values were +4.7 WWT, +8 PWWT, +1.7 PEMD, -0.1 PFAT combining for a 159 CarcasePlus index.
White Dorper
White Dorper ram numbers seen at WA auctions have continued their gradual decline from 2010 this ram selling season.
Four breeders offered 128 rams this year with just 86 rams selling at auction for a 67 per cent clearance rate.
This saw an overall gross of $83,700 at an average of $973, back across all indicators against last year's result.
In 2018, breeders sold 115 of 158 rams (73pc) to gross $128,700 and average $1119.
The Royston stud, Napier, was the only White Dorper stud to improve its average from 2018 with a $238 hike.
This led to a tight race for the top White Dorper average price with Royston stud pipping the Kaya stud by $11 with their average of $1057, albeit recorded from far fewer rams sold.
But Kaya recorded the most consistent result with 39 of 44 rams selling at auction at a clearance rate of 89pc for the highest gross of $40,800, at an average of $1046.
The Ida Vale stud achieved top-priced White Dorper ram honours selling a ram for $2100 to Macabee Estate, Northam, for the third White Dorper ram offered at their sale.
The 89.2kg ram had ASBVs of 100 WDP%, -0.37 BWT, 6.3 WWT, 10.4 PWT, 1.8 PEMD and 0.6 PFAT.
On the indexes it registered 169 for CarcasePlus and 146.6 for Maternal Carcase Production (MCP).
Other shedding breeds
Other shedding sheep breeds combined to offer the majority of rams in this section with numbers offered continuing to grow since records began in 2014.
Overall ram numbers and values were up across all indicators.
Moodi and Gloria Dieu Australian Whites, BreedersBEST Kojak, Hillcroft Farms UltraWhite and Brogar SheepMaster collectively offered an increased number of 307 rams at sales in 2019.
At the completion of selling, breeders had sold 275 rams at auction for a clearance of 90pc.
Buyers spent an average of $2345 to gross a total $644,750.
Last year's collective results showed 254 of 298 rams sold at auction (85pc) to gross $511,900 and average $2015.
The Hillcroft Farms UltraWhite stud, Popanyinning, recorded a massive result at its on-property ram sale with a total clearance of 180 rams to gross $487,500 and average $2708, up $578 on last year's sale average.
Neil Garnett's Brogar SheepMaster stud also enjoyed strong results at the Elders South West Invitational sale, achieving top average stakes of $3610 from the complete clearance of 20 rams, back $15 compared to last year.
Brogar stud also scored the $8000 top-priced ram honours for the shedding breeds.
The 18-month-old ram was knocked down to return buyers Phil and Ginette Corker, P & G Corker, Boyup Brook.
Brogar SheepMasters also recorded the equal $7000 second top-priced ram purchased by David Harrison, DJ & JM Harrison, Ganaree White Suffolk stud, Cobal, New South Wales.
Selling the other $7000 ram was Hillcroft Farms UltraWhites which was purchased by Roy Addis, Landmark Breeding, who was operating on behalf of Matt Wood, Khan Dorpers, Goodooga, New South Wales.
The top-priced ram was an August 2018-drop lamb with ASVBs including 0.07 BWT, 9.7 WWT, 15.3 PWWT, 1.8 PFAT, 2.3 PEMD, 195.1 CarcasePlus and 141.9 TCP index.