SOURCING the right genetics and focusing on breeding rams with great structure, plenty of carcase and silky white wool resulted in a $5100 stud record top price at Lukin Springs fifth annual on-property ram sale at Bouyp Brook.
A healthy registration list of 40 potential buyers appreciated the fine woolled, dual-purpose Poll Merino rams as well as the long bodied, powerful, high performance of the White Suffolk sires offered, resulting in another very successful sale for the Goerling family and a 91 per cent clearance overall.
Ninety free growing Poll Merino rams were offered and 73 were purchased under the hammer to a $1170 average, down $15 on last year when 68 sold.
The $5100 top price came from the Poll Merino line-up, while their White Suffolk counterparts didn't disappoint with 118 out of the 120 White Suffolk rams offered selling at auction to an impressive $1300 average, up $137 on last year's sale result when 103 were offered.
A $2200 top price was achieved for a White Suffolk.
Nutrien Livestock Katanning agent and auctioneer Mark Warren navigated his way through the quality line up of sires.
"The Goerling family must be commended on their continued investment in genetics and their working in building their client base," Mr Warren said.
"The Poll Merinos showed very good wool quality, great bodies and plenty of wool cut."
Mr Warren said when more producers get to know their performance the demand for them will only grow.
"From the first pen until the last, the White Suffolk rams couldn't have been more even,'' he said.
"They showed good length of body, plenty of size, great figures and will sell strongly for years to come."
Nurtien Livestoock Boyup Brook agent Geoff Daw said the first sale under the Nurtien banner was very pleasing.
"The sale clearance in the White Suffolk offering was brilliant, with the quality of sires speaking for themselves," Mr Daw said.
"The Poll Merino were beautiful woolled sheep and with more marketing and proven performance I think the word will get out that these types of rams are what a lot of producers need.
"The Goerling family's breeding program is certainly heading in the right direction with a client base that is progressively growing from Ravensthorpe, Wongan Hills, Tammin, Bruce Rock, Dun Rock, Broome Hill, Woodaniling, Quindanning, Kojonup and Cowaramup."
Poll Merino
It was an upstanding ram with plenty of frame, wool cut and style that caused the biggest bidding war in the shed between Dyson Jones representative Tim Chapman and top price bidder Dean Griffiths, Wongan Hills, who was purchasing on behalf of his neighbour David Millsteed, Mocardy Poll Merino stud.
When the final call was made the well-presented, June/July drop ram that displayed all the correct credentials reached the $5100 sale top and a new record price for the stud.
The May shorn sire had wool figures of 18.3 micron, 3.1 SD, 16.9 CV, 100pc comfort factor (CF), while its ASBVs were 8.4 YWT, 0.3 YFAT, 0.4 YEMD, 26 YCFW and expressed a DP+ of 165.
Mr Griffiths bought one other ram on account for Mr Millsteed at $2000 which had a white, bright fleece of 17.8 micron, SD of 3.7, CV 20.8 and YWT of 5.7.
Mr Millsteed said it was the first time he had secured Lukin Springs genetics and the two heavy cutting, big framed rams are complete outcrosses and will be put to stud use.
"I took interest in these rams because they were from a quick maturing sire that had a heavy yearling weight," Mr Millsteed said.
"The Goerling family has been sourcing some great genetics from the East Coast and these rams are a good example of the type of progeny being produced."
Loyal client Rob Imrie, JGR & L Imrie, Boyup Brook, was back to buy quality and in doing so snapped up seven at a top of $2000 and a $1414 average.
Mr Imrie's leading sire had wool figures of 18.4 micron, 3.0 SD, 16.3 CV and an ASBV score of 5.4 YWT.
Mr Imrie has been sourcing Lukin Springs genetics for 15 years and said he was chasing big framed rams with plenty of wool cut, bold crimp and style.
"The Poll Merino rams will be joined to my flock of 1000 Merino ewes," Mr Imrie said.
Boyup Brook enterprise Rylington Park secured six rams when it paid to a top of $1700 at an average of $1316, while new faces Bevan and Tammy Bignell bought two specially selected ram at $1600 and $1400 for Cherry Tree Estate, Kojonup.
Back to support the Goerling's offering was volume buyer Tim Zadow, TJ & BM Zadow, Kojonup, who took home 15 at a $1153 average and a top of $1950.
Mr Zadow has used Lukin Springs genetics for three years and selects rams with reasonable eye muscle areas and bright, white wool for his flock of 4000 commercial ewes.
Cranbrook operation Shamrock Grazing Co selected five Poll Merino sires at a $1180 average, while long-term client of more than 20 years, Craig Nield, RJ & MH Nield, Boyup Brook, bought seven rams at a $1100 average.
Mr Nield paid a top of $2000 for a fine micron ram that had 5.4 YWT.
White Suffolk
There was a lot of talk about the evenness and outstanding quality of the terminal sires before the sale got underway and expectations didn't disappoint.
An eager group of buyers filled the White Suffolk lanes and from the initial call bids flew in thick and fast.
An early maturing, long bodied ram in Lot 107 attracted the most interest and was secured at the day's $2200 top price when it was bought by Tammin producer Des Tilbrook, CA & DA Tilbrook.
The June 2019-born youngster showed plenty of power, thickness and growth for age and had LambPlan ASBVs of 0.26 BWT, 9.7 WWT, 15.8 PWWT, 0.2 PFAT, 2.1 PEMD and had indexes of 138.9 TCP and 138.1 SRC.
Mr Tilbrook also paid $2100 for another ram which had very similar physical attributes as its sale counterpart and was backed by ASBVs figures of 0.26 BWT, 9.7 WWT, 15.8 PWWT, 0.2 PFAT, 2.1 PEMD and indexes of 138.9 TCP and 138.1 SRC.
Mr Tilbrook purchased Merino rams from the stud almost 20 years ago and was back for a selection of four White Suffolk sires which he confidently bought at an average of $2050 for his Merino operation.
"I have decided to mate all 1000 ewes to terminal sires this year and so I was after the longer bodied rams with reasonable figures," Mr Tilbrook said.
"Their progeny will be marketed directly to WAMMCO and are sold in January and February averaging 26 kilograms dressed weight."
Volume buyer and loyal client Anthony Hallett, DM & JM Hallett, Boyup Brook, bid strongly on the White Suffolk rams to load 19 head on the back of his truck at a top of $2000 and a $1334 average.
Mr Hallett, who is a large prime lamb producer, runs 10,000 Merino ewes which are mated to White Suffolk and Poll Dorset rams.
"I always purchase terminal sires which are backed by strong genetics, have a good weaning weights and have big frames," Mr Hallett said.
"It's important the rams can produce lambs that grow fast and have weight behind them to meet market specifications."
Mr Hallett sells his prime lambs directly to V&V Walsh at the start of September through to December straight off mum at four to six months of age.
Nutrien Wool South West agent Matt Chambers, bid on behalf of Adam Li and Graeme Clifford, Preston Grove Pastoral Pty, Mumballup.
Mr Chambers snapped up 24 rams for the company at a $1600 top (twice) and averaged $1293.
Mr Li said they were sourcing good framed rams with high weaning weights and post weaning weights to use in their prime lamb enterprise.
"We run 1800 Merino ewes and selected the Goerling's genetics for the first time because they have quality rams which are very well presented," Mr Li said.
Purchasing at the top end of the catalogue was Bridgetown producer HR & FA Gifford, when it selected four sires at a $1600 top and $1513 average, while DS Morgan & Co, Williams, which are familiar with Lukin Springs genetics, bought four strong preforming sires at an $1800 top and an average of $1675.
Biami Farms, Bruce Rock, paid a $1700 top for its six well-muscled rams at an average of $1458.