IT was another huge day at Dudinin last Monday when the Ledwith family hosted its annual Kolindale Merino, Poll Merino and White Suffolk on-property ram sale.
With water in the dams and feed in the paddock, strong sheep prices and an improved wool market compared to 12 months ago, there was plenty of confidence among buyers in the shed and it showed in their bidding as they pushed prices to a high of $9500 for a Poll Merino ram.
All up the Ledwith family put forward 468 rams which all showed the traits Kolindale sheep are renowned for, and with strong competition throughout from 58 registered bidders, nearly all found new homes.
In the breakdown, there were 74 Merinos, 256 Poll Merinos and 136 White Suffolks offered and they all met with very good competition.
When the final ram was bowled over after close to five hours of selling and the numbers crunched, 461 or 99 per cent had sold under the hammer for a combined gross of $782,900, an overall average of $1698 and a top of $9500 for a Poll Merino ram.
In comparison, in last year's sale the stud sold 444 rams from 457 at an average of $1453, meaning this year's overall average was up $245.
Kolindale stud principal Luke Ledwith said they were thrilled with the final sale result.
"We didn't expect the sale to be this strong given the past couple of dry years which have seen our clients reducing their sheep numbers," Mr Ledwith said.
"I really want to thank our regular buyers and the new ones which supported us in the sale.
"I class a lot of our clients' flocks and it is pleasing to see their sheep continue to improve and seeing this improvement gives us the confidence that we are on the right track with our breeding programs.
"I thought it was one of the best line-up of rams we have put forward in terms of both breeds and to receive the support we did on them is very encouraging.
"We're constantly investing in our breeding programs with new genetics from across Australia and in particular doing a large amount of AI, so to achieve this result indicates we're hopefully going in the direction our clients need.
"We have really focused on the carcase traits, not only in the White Suffolks, but also the Merinos which is now important given the position of the sheep and wool markets.
"Wool prices might not be as strong as a few years ago but sheep prices are still really good, so there are still plenty of positives in the industry."
Merino and Poll Merino
It was another big yarding of Merino and Poll Merino rams lined up by the Kolindale stud and the Elders selling team, led by Nathan King and Steele Hathway, had the task to find them new paddocks.
All up 330 rams were offered and with strong buying support from returning and new clients, the majority of the rams received good competition from multiple buyers including one in the last row in pen 321 which sold for $5000.
By the end of the offering Mr King and Mr Hathway had cleared 325 or 98pc under the hammer to 39 different buyers for a gross of $606,100, a top of $9500 and an average of $1865, which was up from last year's average of $1603 when 311 rams sold from 317 offered.
In the breakdown the Ledwith family offered and sold 74 Merinos at an average of $2145 (up $501 on last year), while there were 251 of 256 Poll Merinos sold for an average of $1782 (up $193 on last year).
The sale started with a run of 31 March shorn, shed-prepared rams and it got off to a great start when these averaged $3816.
Leading the way in these pens was the stud's team leader.
When Mr King stood over the big, deep, square Poll Merino in pen one, buyers quickly gathered and it was long before he had an opening bid of $5000.
From there the bids came in thick and fast to Mr King but eventually it was return buyers of more than 40 years Peter and Linda McCrea and family, PL & LK McCrea & Lazy MC6, Salmon Gums, who had the winning bid at the sale's $9500 top price.
Mr McCrea said they picked the ram out as it was a good all round sire.
"He has a big body with plenty of depth and very good wool quality," Mr McCrea said.
"He also has good growth rates."
The 123 kilogram, stylish woolled ram has current wool figures of 21.0 micron, 3.4 SD, 16.4 CV and 99.4pc comfort factor (CF).
Along with securing the day's top-priced ram the McCrea family also purchased a 118kg Merino ram, which Mr McCrea also described as a very good ram for $4400.
It had wool figures of 17.9 micron, 3.0 SD, 16.6 CV and 99.7pc CF.
Mr McCrea said they had no preference for horned or polled sires and just liked to buy the best rams possible.
The two rams will be used in the McCrea family's 200-head nucleus flock to breed rams for their own use.
This joining season the family is looking to mate 1700 ewes to Merino rams for an end of March lambing.
This year they achieved a 97 to 98pc lambing from ewes joined.
Mr McCrea said they aimed to sell most of their wethers as lambs.
"With the prices so good at present for lamb, I think we feedlot them this year so we can get them all away as lambs," Mr McCrea said.
The top price for a Merino ram in the sale was $9000 and it was also set early in the line-up when Mr King stood over an upstanding sire with a bright, stylish wool penned in lot four.
Placing the winning bid this time were return buyers of more than 10 years Ashley and Kyran Starcevich, Cramphorne Farms, Muntadgin.
Ashley Starcevich said they saw the ram at the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days in August and picked it out.
"He is a very good all round sire with some great features," Mr Starcevich said.
"He is large framed and has nice, white, stylish wool which is free-growing."
The 118kg ram has current wool tests of 17.4 micron, 3.3 SD, 18.8 CV and 99.7pc CF.
The Starcevichs will use both the rams in a nucleus flock of about 250 to 300 ewes to breed rams for their own use.
This year they are looking to join 4000 ewes all to Merino rams for an April lambing.
The Starcevich's flock averages 20.4 micron across all sheep while their mature sheep cut between seven and eight kilograms.
This year they achieved a 90pc lambing (unscanned) over ewes joined.
Losing bidders on the top-priced Merino ram was the McCrea family.
Also setting the tone for the sale early was a deep-bodied Poll ram in pen three when it sold for $8500 to Simon Broun, Southbourne Farming Pty Ltd, Beverley.
Mr Broun, who has been buying from the stud for five years, described his purchase as a very well-made sheep.
"He has a nice long and deep body plus a well-nourished wool," Mr Broun said.
"We will use him in our 300-head nucleus flock to breed rams for our own use."
All up this season the Brouns will join 2000 ewes to Merino rams.
Fellow Beverley operation Lockerbie Trading also wasn't afraid to bid up strongly early in the sale and as a result secured two Poll Merinos at a $4300 average.
It paid to a top of $4600 for a 124kg ram with wool figures of 19.8 micron, 3.9 SD, 19.8 CV and 99.3pc CF
Brothers Mitch and Lachy Mouritz, RBY Mouritz, Hyden, whose family has been buying from the stud for more than 40 years, continued the tradition in the sale and were very strong at the top end as well.
The pair finished the sale with four Merinos and four Polls at an average of $3375 and to a top of $4200 paid for a 116kg Merino ram measuring 18.2 micron, 4.0 SD, 21.4 CV and 99.2pc CF in the wool.
Lachy Mouritz said they continued to buy from Kolindale because the sheep were good doers and suited their conditions at Hyden.
"They have good growth and frames plus good white, stylish wools with plenty of staple length," Mr Mouritz said.
The Mouritz's flock averages 19.5 to 20 micron across their mature sheep while their cut is about 7kg.
This year the family is aiming to join 4000 ewes to Merinos and another 1700 Merino ewes to White Suffolk sires.
Another strong buyer in the sale from the Hyden area was the Varone family, Marlu Farms, which averaged $3208 across a team of 13 Polls which included two rams at $4000.
Mario Varone said they liked the Kolindale sheep because they were ideal for Wheatbelt conditions.
"They are big framed sheep with nice fine wools," Mr Varone said.
The Varone's mature sheep average 21.5 micron and an 8kg cut.
The Varones will join 3500 ewes to Merinos this season, following a successful lambing this year where they achieved 100pc.
There were a number of other buyers to have an influence on the sale in terms of both prices and numbers including the Barrett, Tomsic and Hardie families.
Return buyers of more than 15 years Paul and Tate Barrett, PM & MD Barrett, Jerramungup, who will join 3500 ewes to Merinos this year, worked their way through the catalogue and finished the sale with a team of 16 Merino and Poll Merino rams at an average of $2644 and to a top of $3700.
Paul Barrett said they continued to return and buy at Kolindale because the sheep performed well in their area.
"They are big framed sheep with wool cutting ability which suit our environment," Mr Barrett said.
This year the Barretts achieved a 96pc lambing to ewes mated while their mature ewe flock averages 21 micron with the ewes cutting about 8kg.
Fellow return buyers the Tomsic family, E & H Tomsic, Karlgarin, buying with the support of Westcoast Wool & Livestock Hyden representative Lincon Gangell, secured a team of 12 Poll Merinos at an average of $2783 and to a top of $3600.
The enterprise paid $3600 for a 19.5 micron, 99.3pc CF, 116kg ram.
Return buyers of 40 years Barry and Clayton Hardie, Hardie Nominees Pty Ltd, Narrogin, purchased just Merino rams and finished the sale with 12 head at an average of $2250 and to a top of $3000.
Barry Hardie said it was the quality wools on the Kolindale sheep along with the number of rams to choose from which kept them coming back to the stud.
This year the Hardies are looking to join 2500 ewes to Merinos and another 2300 Merino ewes to White Suffolks.
Like in past years the Fowler family's Chilwell account, Condingup, featured regularly in the buying sheets.
This year with Nutrien Livestock Breeding representative Mitchell Crosby buying for them, the Fowlers secured a team of 25 including seven Merinos and 18 Poll Merinos at an average of $2040 and to a top of $3600.
Simon Fowler said the family had been buying from the stud for nine years and liked the bright, white wools of the Kolindale sheep.
"The crimp in the wools is really good and they also have very good constitutions and do well in our area," Mr Fowler said.
The Chilwell flock averages 21.0 micron with a cut of 5.5kg across everything.
This year the operation will join 16,000 ewes to Merino and Poll Merino sires for June/July lambing and is again hoping to achieve a 95pc conception like they did this year.
The operation sells all its wethers as lambs to V&V Walsh with the first line usually being sold in January, shorn out of the feedlot.
Joining the Fowlers on the volume buyers list this year was MP Slade, Fitzgerald, which had left a buying order with Elders Albany representative Nigel Hawke.
Mr Hawke worked his way through the catalogue and finished the sale with 27 rams for the Slades at an average of $867 and to a top of $1900.
Mr Hawke said this year they would join about 15,000 ewes to Merinos.
"Today I was only chasing Polls with white wools under 20 micron which would be able to handle the wetter environment," Mr Hawke said.
There were many other buyers who were able to get their hands on teams of rams which resulted in the offering heading to properties in the Great Southern, Wheatbelt and Southern Coastal regions.
Elders auctioneer Nathan King said it was a very good result for the Ledwith family given it was their third sale for the year.
"It was a great effort to put up so many rams in one sale, after already hosting two other sales," Mr King said.
"It was a very even and quality line-up throughout and this was shown by the fact that a ram in the last 10 pens made $5000.
"Right through the sale there was a constant flurry of hands bidding which ensured good competition throughout.
"It certainly followed the trend of other sales this season and was up on last year.
"To offer 330 rams and nearly sell them all at an average of more than $1800 is a great achievement and a credit to the Ledwith family."
White Suffolk
Before the Merinos got underway, the day kicked off with a very even yarding of 138 White Suffolk rams.
The Nutrien Livestock auctioneering team led by Michael Altus, rattled through them and when he knocked down the final ram, all 136 had been sold to 19 different buyers under the hammer to a top of $2100 and for an average of $1300, which was up $115 on last year's result.
In last year's sale the stud offered 140 rams and sold 133 for an $1185 average.
Nutrien Livestock Breeding representative Roy Addis said the Ledwith family presented a great line-up of White Suffolk rams, which met with strong demand from commercial producers.
"The stud has invested in quality genetics in the past few years and this investment shone through in the yarding," Mr Addis said.
"The sale was certainly stronger than we had expected in terms of both clearance and prices and it was a great result for the Ledwith family given their continued investment in new genetics."
The $2100 top price was paid by long-term and the sale's volume buyers the Fowler family, Chilwell, Condingup, which left its bidding to Nutrien Livestock Esperance agent Darren Chatley.
Mr Chatley said the top-priced ram had everything the Fowlers look for.
"He is well-balanced, has a nice shape and the style of ram they want," Mr Chatley said.
"Today we were chasing rams with plenty of length and thickness plus good conformation."
The long, deep ram weighed in at 128kg and had August scans of 47.4mm eye muscle depth (EMD) and 7.3mm fat.
Along with the top priced ram Mr Chatley secured another 24 rams for Fowler thee family from the offering to finish with a team of 25 at an average of $1448, to make them by far the biggest buyers.
The operation has been using White Suffolks for 15 years and Simon Fowler said they like the breed because it crosses very well with Merinos.
"They produce quick maturing lambs with length of body and thickness," Mr Fowler said.
"We have been using them long enough now and are certainly getting the results.
"We are always able to get our lambs up by the last week of July to get a draft off."
Chilwell will this season join 7000 Merino ewes to White Suffolk sires for an April lambing.
Mr Fowler said this year they had already sold 4300 out of 5000 lambs as suckers straight to a processor.
"Our first draft went in the first week of August and what we have sold so far are averaging 21.5kg dressed," he said.
Losing bidder on the top-priced ram was long-term client Jeremy James, JJJ Farms, Hyden, who was again very supportive of the offering especially at the top end averaging $1675 over a team of four.
Mr James paid a top of $1900 for a 122kg ram with scans of 43.4mm EMD and 7.6mm fat.
Mr James said the rams would join the enterprises's sire battery which will be joined to 1100 first-cross Prime SAMM ewes for a May lambing.
He said he liked using the White Suffolk breed because of its ease of lambing, good growth rates and cleaner heads and tails which allows them to run them through spring with very few grass seed issues.
"I was chasing high growth rams with good muscling (high EMDs) as we want to turn our lambs off at 18 to 22 weeks," Mr James said.
Also bidding strongly at the top end was Barry and Clayton Hardie, who averaged $1717 over six rams.
Return buyer Paul Cameron, PW & ML Cameron, Lake Grace, buying with the support of Nutrien Livestock Lake Grace representative Tyson Prater, was the second biggest buyer in the sale behind Chilwell, finishing the sale with a team of 18 rams at an average of $1089.
Mr Cameron said he liked the White Suffolk breed for its fast growth rates, length of body and ease of lambing.
"We were chasing rams with good sound structures that would produce fast growing lambs as we aim to turn our lambs off as suckers," Mr Cameron said.
"This year already we have sold 950 lambs to a South Australian lotfeeder/processor a couple of weeks ago which has bought our lambs before."
This year the Camerons will mate 2200 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams for an April lambing.
Another sizable buyer in the sale was second-time buyer Brad Cluett, Cluett & Sons, Porongurup, who has been using White Suffolk rams for more than 15 years.
Mr Cluett, who will mate 3000 Merino ewes to White Suffolks this year, purchased 13 rams at an average of $1415.
He said he was chasing good long, well-muscled rams with smooth shoulders for ease of lambing.
The operation lambs in early May and aims to turn off two thirds of its lambs as suckers at 19-20kg carcase weight starting from about mid October, while the rest are finished and sold off stubbles.
There were two other repeat buyers from the Mt Barker region to also purchase strongly and they were RW & JM Thomas, Mt Barker, which secured eight at an average of $1350, through Mr Addis while Nutrien Livestock Mt Barker agent Harry Carroll purchased eight for Talawa Grazing Co, Mt Barker, at a $1300 average.
