THE Westerdale Poll Merino on-property ram sale at McAlinden last week bucked the trend of most ram sales this season to record a $309 rise in average.
Buyers chasing quality, bright, white-woolled Poll Merino rams with good cutting ability were out in force at the Jackson family's sale and bid up strongly on the impressive catalogue of rams pushing prices to a high of $6800.
With strong support from a long list of return buyers, chasing the quality 'true blue' wools the stud is renowned for, the sale was strong and consistent throughout as buyers showed they still had faith in the wool industry despite its market volatility of the past 12 months.
When the final ram was knocked down by Elders auctioneer Nathan King, the stud had cleared 137 of the 140 rams offered under the hammer for an impressive average of $2190 and a total gross of $300,050 to 22 different buyers from not only the local area, but from as far away as Ravensthorpe in the east and Bindoon in the north.
In comparison last year's sale 142 rams sold from 144 offered at an average of $1881 and a gross of $267,100.
Mr King said the final sale result was a very pleasing one for the Jackson family with a very good clearance and a significant increase in average compared to last year.
"It was an excellent line-up of rams and the best I have seen at Westerdale in my time coming here," Mr King said.
"They displayed great white wools on beautiful bodies.
"The quality of the line-up was certainly reflected in the strong competition from buyers right through the catalogue with rams in the last row making more than $2000.
"The strong sale result was set up by the strong support from long-term clients who continue to get results from the stud's genetics and have faith in the bloodline.
"The result was a credit to the Jackson family and well deserved for the efforts they put into their breeding program."
With a very good line-up of rams from start to finish, it was easy to see why the sale was solid and consistent throughout.
Along with presenting extremely well the rams also had very good wool figures to match.
The team's average May wool figures were 17.8 micron, 3.3 SD, 18.9 CV, 99.8 per cent comfort factor (CF) and a 4.5 kilogram greasy fleece weight (GFW) for six months growth.
The stud's first run of 20 rams set up the strong result for the Jackson family when they sold to an average of $3268 and it was towards the end of this run in pen 18 that the day's $6800 top-priced ram was found.
Mr King took an opening bid of $2000 on the upstanding, deep, square ram and from there the price raced up as he fielded a flurry of bids from interested buyers.
But in the end it was return buyer of more than 10 years, the Rhodes family, Rhodes Pastoral Pty Ltd, Boyup Brook, which outlasted them all and had the final $6800 bid to earn the right to take home the ram.
Rhodes Pastoral Pty Ltd sheep manager Phill Corker said the ram was an impressive sire with a great constitution and size.
"He is a big ram with a large barrel and an excellent structure," Mr Corker said.
"We are very happy to be able to get him and now be able to use him in our operation."
The ram, which has Roseville Park blood in its pedigree, had May wool figures of 18.8 micron, 3.1 SD, 16.6 CV, 99.9pc CF and 5.3kg GFW.
But this ram wasn't the only one headed to the Boyup Brook operation - it also paid the sale's $6750 second top price when it secured the first ram offered in the sale which Mr Corker described as a good all-round ram with a faultless wool and a great topline.
The bright, white, stylish crimped, woolled ram had wool figures of 16.7 micron, 3.2 SD, 19.3 CV, 99.8pc CF and 4.6kg GFW.
The operation's buying spree continued when it also paid the $6200 third top price and $6000 fourth top price.
The $6200 ram, which has Yarrawonga bloodlines, had wool figures of 18.3 micron, 4.5 SD, 24.5 CV, 99.8pc CF and 4.7kg GFW, while the $6000 ram based on pure Westerdale bloodlines had wool figures of 16.2 micron, 3.1 SD, 19.3 CV, 99.9pc CF and 4.8kg GFW.
The operation finished the day with a team of five rams at an average of $5930, which will be used in their nucleus flock of 800 to 900 ewes to breed rams for its own use.
Mr Corker said their intention was to buy three rams but they ended up buying five because the line-up was so good.
"The whole line-up was impressive and a credit to the Jackson family," Mr Corker said.
"I have been coming here for 15 years and it is the best line-up of rams I have seen offered by the stud.
"All the rams had nourished, bright, white wools on good bodies.
"We were blown away by the team of rams."
This year the operation is looking to join 15,000 ewes to Poll Merino sires and another 8000 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams.
Mr Corker said they were hoping to sell some of this year's June-drop wether lambs as suckers straight off their mothers in the next few weeks at 45-50kg liveweight.
"The rest of our wether lambs we will run through our feedlot," Mr Corker said.
"This year we will start getting them in from November 1, we have brought it forward compared to previous years due to the wool market a little bit."
Last year (2019-drop lambs) the operation shore all its wether lambs and then started them in the feedlot on January 1 before selling them in February and March.
One of the last lines sold (665 head) in March averaged $193.85 a head and 24.1kg carcase weight.
Losing bidder on the $6800 top-priced ram was Clive Drage, Lindsay stud, Mt Barker, who later went onto purchase a ram measuring 16.9 micron, 3.0 SD and 99.9pc CF in the wool.
Return buyer of five years John Rutherford, IG & SB Rutherford & Sons, Duranillin, also paid up to $3000 and finished the day with a team of five at an average of $2340.
Mr Rutherford paid $3000 for the fourth ram offered which had wool figures of 15.8 micron, 3.1 SD, 100pc CF and 4.9kg GFW.
Boyup Brook producers Ronald and Helen Tuckett, RL & HM Tuckett, who have supported the stud since its foundation in 1978, again didn't shy away from the bidding action finishing the sale with a team of 10 rams to a top of $2800 twice and an average of $2500.
Mr Tuckett said they have continued to return and buy at the stud over such a long period as the Westerdale sheep have the wool quality to withstand the higher rainfall of the area.
"I was chasing rams with heavy cutting, free growing, soft white wools that also had depth of body and a good frame," Mr Tuckett said.
The Tuckett this year is looking to join 3000 ewes to Merinos and another 1600 Merino ewes to Poll Dorset rams.
There were a number of other buyers that secured sizeable drafts at the top end and one of the biggest of these were return buyers of 14 years, the Smith family, Marlo Farm Nominees, Gnowangerup.
Brad and Roz Smith, with the assistance of Colin Kingston, worked their way through the catalogue and ended the day with a team of seven at an average of $2486 and to a top of $2900.
The Smiths, who will mate 2000 ewes this year, like the Westerdale bloodline as it produces good sheep for them that grow out well in the Gnowangerup area.
"They have good frames, are easy-care and cut plenty of wool," Mr Smith said.
Also purchasing at the top end were clients since the mid 1980s, Digby and Emily Stretch, Stretch Enterprises, Kojonup, who averaged $2256 across a team of nine which topped at $2600 twice, while
G & A Watts, West Pingelly, secured five rams at an average of $2200 and to a $2900 top.
Fourth-year client Craig Power, Power Grazing, Busselton, with the assistance of Westcoast Wool & Livestock South West agent Mat Lowe, again made an impression in the sale securing 26 rams to a top of $2400 on three occasions and an average of $1754, earning the title of the day's volume buyer.
Mr Power, who will this year join 4000 ewes to Poll Merino rams with the aim of joining 5000 ewes in coming years, said he was chasing rams with good wools to handle the rain but they also had to have good, big bodies to allow them to breed a Merino which would give them flexibility when it comes to turning off stock.
"We are really happy with the ewes we have coming through," Mr Power said.
The operation has seen a couple of positive returns from its Merinos in recent weeks.
It has just shorn its ewe hoggets which are surplus requirements (400 head) and sold them for $175, while they just sold their first line of two-year-old wethers (1100 head) for the year bare shorn at $130 a head.
Mr Power said along with running their breeding ewe flock they also run a sizeable wether flock.
"We keep all our wethers and then buy in about 2000 and run them through as well until two years old," Mr Power said.
The next biggest buyer in the sale was David Inglis, Bondfield Farm, Boyup Brook, whose operation has been buying from the stud for 40 years.
Mr Inglis, who continues to buy at Westerdale because the sheep are good consistent wool cutters with solid frames, purchased 14 sires to a top of $2600 and an average of $2036.
Also featuring strongly in the sale purchasing 10 rams each were clients of 25 years the Carroll family, Carroll Family Enterprises, Boyup Brook, who averaged $1860 across its team while fellow long term clients the McElroy family, R & A McElroy, averaged $2090 for its team.
