THE sun was out, the breeze was fresh and the rams impressed at the 28th annual Shirlee Downs and Dongadilling ram sale in Quairading on September 17.
A slightly reduced offering resulted in higher clearances and a noticeable lift in averages across the three breeds.
Strong buyer support was evident with 42 of the 51 registered buyers managing to secure rams for their breeding programs across WA.
There were a total of 259 rams, broken down between 163 Poll Dorset, 44 White Suffolk and 42 Prime SAMM, with 253 sold for a 98 per cent clearance.
The star performers were the White Suffolks this year, taking out the sale-topping $6600 price tag with a stud sire, while the excellent yarding also saw a Poll Dorset flock ram reach $3000.
Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Jarrad Hubbard said the outstanding result at the sale was testament to the Squiers family's dedication to breeding quality sheep.
"Today's values and clearance are a reflection of the effort Chris, Sascha and Adrian have put into their breeding program over many years," Mr Hubbard said.
"They present an excellent line up of sheep, year-in and year-out.
"All the breeds performed well, with the standout being the White Suffolks, which is following the current sale trends this year.
"I have clients that buy from this sale and they have all returned record prices for the lambs they have sold this season.
"The Shirlee Downs and Dongadilling sheep are proven performers."
Elders representative Graeme Curry reiterated the absolute quality of the rams at the sale once again.
"The team here today showed tremendous size and scale, with the figures to back them, which resulted in an almost complete clearance across all the breeds," Mr Curry said.
"Another successful sale and a very big contingent of satisfied repeat and return buyers speaks for itself."
The $6600 top-priced White Suffolk stud sire was snapped up by Nutrien Livestock Breeding representative, Roy Addis, on behalf of Brenton Addis, Yonga Downs White Suffolk stud, Gnowangerup.
"'This ram will be an outcross for the stud," Mr Addis said.
"With the figures it will be able to be utilised in the nucleus flock.
"It has great carcase traits and is structurally very sound.
"It is good to support WA bred genetics."
The ram was one of only two White Suffolk stud sires offered and was born a twin with accompanying Australian Sheep Breeding values of 0.46 birth weight (BWT), 11.3 weaning weight (WWT), 17.9 post weaning weight (PWWT), 0.1 post weaning fat (PFAT), 1.3 post weaning eye muscle depth and a terminal carcase production index (TCP) of 137.5.
The second top price of the sale was $3500 realised by lot two of the day, a Shirlee Downs Poll Dorset stud sire, that was snapped up by Tim, Trish and Matt Webb, Kojonup.
The ram was born a twin and exhibited measurements of 0.65 BWT, 10.8 WWT, 19.3 PWWT, -1.1 PFAT, 2.1 PEMD and 150.5 TCP.
It was the first time the Webbs had attended the sale and purchased Shirlee Downs genetics.
"We have a small nucleus flock of 60 Poll Dorset ewes, to breed our own rams," Ms Webb said.
"We mate SAMM cross Merino ewes back to Poll Dorset rams for our commercial sheep production.
"Shirlee Downs has very good rams for carcase traits, good heads, shoulders and excellent temperament."
The Webbs also purchased two Prime SAMM rams to mate back to their Prime SAMM ewes.
"We have a small nucleus SAMM flock also," Ms Webb said.
"We then buy a Merino ram and mate the SAMM ewes to create a first cross.
"These first cross ewes have excellent hybrid vigour and are very fast growing.
"We find the wethers sell really well because of the cross also."
The Webbs Prime SAMM purchase included the second top priced Prime SAMM of the sale for $2500.
The rams figures showed its wool tested at 20.9 micron, with a comfort factor (CF) of 99.1pc and accompanying ASBVs of 4 WWT, 5.7 PWWT, 0.5 PFAT, 1.4 PEMD.
The $2800 top priced Prime SAMM went to Ron Watterson, Watterson Estate, Tenterden, who also purchased three Poll Dorset stud sires, the second White Suffolk stud sire, five White Suffolk flock rams, two Poll Dorset stud rams and four more Prime SAMM rams for a grand total of 16 rams across the three breeds and san average of $1950 per ram.
The highest priced Prime SAMM was 19.4 micron, 99.5pc CF, 2.3 WWT, 2.7 PWWT, -0.2 PFAT and -0.1 PEMD.
Mr Watterson said he has been on the Shirlee Downs Prime SAMM bloodline for a long time, having travelled to South Africa with stud co-principal Chris Squiers before the stud was started.
"I know what they breed and how they perform," Mr Watterson said.
"They do really well for us.
"Chris has been in the business for a long time, he breeds really good sheep and is a very genuine person.
"The wool is very white and really good quality and the sheep are a very good size."
Nutrien Livestock Merredin agent, Aaron Caldwell, purchased 33 rams split between 10 White Suffolks and 23 Poll Dorsets, for an average of $745.
Mr Caldwell said the Shirlee Downs and Dongadilling bred rams fit the bill for what the client wanted.
"They were looking for well bred terminal sires that can stand up in Wheatbelt conditions," he said.
Having been clients for about eight years, Chris and Cheryl James, Stockdale Partners, Hyden, know what they are getting and it is no wonder they were willing to pay up to the $3000 top for the Poll Dorset flock ram offering.
Mating around 800 to 1200 to Merinos, they purchased nine Poll Dorset rams for an average of $2233.
"The top priced ram was a visually very good ram and had excellent figures," Ms James said.
"The growth and eye muscle is what we like to be able to turn off lambs at 18-20 weeks.
"We have sent off lambs already this year that at 16-18 weeks weighed 26 weeks, which is proof that these genetics are great."
Mr James said it was also a benefit that the Squiers family were very easy to deal with and the sheep were paddock run, so they were ready to go.
Buying across the White Suffolk flock and Poll Dorset flock offering was long-term repeat volume buyers, Hillgate Nominees, JV & DV Davies, York, with its total of 15 rams to the top price of $1000 and for an average of $907.
Another regular volume buyer, the Emin family, Ferncourt Enterprises P/L, York, took home a total of 19 Poll Dorset flock rams to a top of $1100 and an average of $934.
The volume buyers for solely Prime SAMM rams were Quairading locals, Bond Brothers, with their six rams to a top of $1100 and an average of $1017.
Shirlee Downs and Dongadilling co-principal Chris Squiers said he was obviously extremely happy with the clearance.
"It's also great to see buyers being selective and prepared to pay for the sheep they were after," Mr Squiers said.
"We are really happy with the results and are thankful to all our clients for their support."
