ANOTHER successful Kojonup Breeders' Triple S ram sale was highlighted by pairs of top prices achieved by each of the three studs offering rams, with a 100 per cent clearance of all rams across the two breeds penned.
The joint Elders and Nutrien Livestock sale saw one less stud selling but this did not affect the numbers with a big turnout of 34 registered buyers, from as far afield as Dongara, wanting to secure their ram requirements.
Nutrien's Jarrod Hubbard and Elders' Preston Clarke shared the auctioneering duties and at the end of the sale all 157 lots were sold under the hammer, with the majority of averages and top prices realising a lift from the previous sales figures.
Mr Clarke said all the breeders had presented their rams very well and the sale had been very successful.
"It was a very buoyant sale," Mr Clarke said.
"Loyal customers showed their appreciation through vibrant bidding, with no rams passed in, as they were keen to take home their selected rams for the upcoming mating.
"Their enthusiasm was in no small part driven by the very strong lamb market, that appears to have long legs into the near to long-term."
Nutrien Livestock Breeding's Roy Addis said the results of the sale were reflective of the offering.
"Overall it was a great line-up of Poll Dorset and Texel rams that met with solid buyer support," Mr Addis said.
"As usual people know they can attend the Kojonup Triple S ram sale confident they will get quality sires across all breeds."
The Orrvale Poll Dorset stud was the first to be auctioned with buyers active from the first pen creating solid competition and a fast paced sale from the outset.
The figures for Orrvale saw a marked lift from 2019, with the top price increasing by $400 and the average up by $261 to be $1482 across the 85 lots offered and sold.
It was on lots five and 10 that the $2900 equal highest price of the sale was achieved, with both lots purchased by Mr Addis, on behalf of Jeff Cockman and family, Tebco Fishing, Dongara, who purchased a total of four rams for an average of $2700.
The Cockmans started their sheep breeding in earnest with the purchase of ewes in 2019 after switching to sheep from Angus cattle.
Mr Addis said he had received the instructions prior to the sale to purchase the rams for the Cockman's breeding program.
"All the rams came from different sire lines," Mr Addis said.
"The structural correctness, length of body and consistent ASBVs were what stood out on these four rams today."
Lot five weighed 130.5 kilograms and was a twin born on May 17, 2019, exhibiting ASBVs of 0.55 birth weight (BWT), 10.3 weaning weight (WWT), 14.9 post weaning weight (PWWT), -0.4 post weaning fat (PFAT), 1.6 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) and 133.78 terminal carcase production (TCP).
Lot 10 was the heaviest ram in the offering, weighing in at 137.5kg, was born on May 15, 2019 and had accompanying ASBV measurements of 0.44 BWT, 10 WWT, 14.8 PWWT, -1.2 PFAT, 1.6 PEMD and 139.13 TCP.
The overall volume buyers in the Orrvale catalogue was Elders Boyup Brook on behalf of an anonymous Bridgetown client who purchased a total of nine rams to a top of $2200 and an average of $1678.
The next volume buyer of Orrvale sires was Ben Thompson, Benbrook Grazing, Boyup Brook, with his ute load of eight rams to a top of $2100 and an average of $1688.
Mr Thompson said he was a long-term Orrvale client and found their genetics worked well in his prime lamb program.
"They are very well prepared rams," Mr Thompson said.
"The lambs are early maturing and grow out fast, so work well for our prime lamb production side of things."
The next stud to go under the hammer was the Glencraobh and Amberley Poll Dorset stud, with its total of 48 rams selling to a top of $1600, twice, and averaging a very impressive $1131.
It was Glencroabh and Amberely's second and sixth lots that drew the $1600 equal top price and the first one sold to KJ & JA King Family Trust, Darkan, as their sole purchase.
The sire weighed 109kg, was born a twin and had raw data figures of 41.5 millimetres EMD and 6.4mm FAT.
The second sire to reach the $1600 top price weighed 104kg, with 38.2mm EMD and 6.8mm FAT and sold to JOH Grazing, Kojonup, also as their sole purchase at the sale.
JOH Grazing is a partnership between Bevan Brown and Troy Hornby, with Mr Brown saying they have been buying the Glencraobh and Amberley genetics for a long time and had some specific breeding objectives in mind when selecting their sire.
"We are trying to narrow the front end down a bit," Mr Brown said.
"The ram's head and shoulders were what we liked, for easier lambing.
"The ram will go into our nucleus flock to breed our own rams."
As with the other studs at the sale, there was an abundance of volume buyers in the Mitchell family Glencraobh and Amberley line up with standouts being TH Shepherd & Co, Kojonup, who bought nine rams to as top of $1400 and an average of $1144.
Magenta Estate P/L, Kojonup, also purchased a total of nine rams, to a top of $1400, for an average of $1122 and locals JJ & JA Sexton, Kojonup, purchased eight rams, to a top of $1100, twice, for a $950 average.
The final stud to face the auctioneers' gavel was the Glover family's JimJan Texel stud and their offering of 24 rams.
JimJan experienced a lift in their sales figures across the board with their $2000 equal top prices being $400 up from the previous sale and their $1525 average logging in at $371 over last year's average.
It was the seventh and eighth Texel rams that achieved the equal $2000 top prices of the Texel catalogue.
The first lot was a twin, born on August 1, 2019 and had ASBV figures of 0.53 BWT, 7.9 WWT, 11.9 PWWT, -1.3 PFAT, 1.7 PEMD and 139.8 TCP.
The sire was knocked down to Ellen Walker, Warranine Park, Brookton, who purchased a total of five JimJan Texels for an average of $1640.
The second $2000 equal top priced ram was also a twin, born on August 7, 2019, with measurements of 0.59 BWT, 7.5 WWT, 11.1 WWT, -1.5 PFAT, 1.6 PEMD and 139 TCP.
The ram was one of 13 purchased by Darren Hunt, WJ Hunt & Co, Mt Barker, for an average of $1500.
Mr Hunt said he came to the sale with the intention of buying up to 14 rams and was confident in buying the JimJan genetics as they had been buying them for about four years.
"We have always used Texels," Mr Hunt said.
"We used to have our own Texel stud about 15 years ago and sold it.
"We now have a commercial operation and buy Texel rams to utilise over Merinos.
"We have 2000 breeders and I knew what I needed volume wise, so I picked the ones I liked the best and bought them.
"There weren't many I didn't like though, so I really could have picked any of the rams here today."
