STRONG buyer support for a quality line-up of Poll and Merino rams at the Ejanding on-property sale pushed prices to an impressive top of $14,600 earlier this month.
Once again the Jones family and Ejanding team presented an outstanding sale team, which this year was a catalogue consisting of 125 Poll Merino and 40 Merino rams, a slight reduction on their 180-head offering last year.
Competition for the genetics was strong throughout the sale, and by the fall of Elders auctioneer Steele Hathway's hammer on pen 165, the stud had sold 155 rams (94pc) at an average of $2160.
This represented an increase in clearance of 17pc on last year and the overall average also rose by $510 year-on-year, with 118 of the Poll Merinos selling at an average of $2287, up $620 on last year and the 37 Merinos selling for an average of $1754, $164 more per head than in 2020.
Mr Hathway said the presentation of the line-up had been outstanding as always, and that it was exciting to see the growth in the way the stud was using ASBVs.
It was pen two that attracted the most attention for the day - a big upstanding Poll Merino sired by Moorundie Poll 073009 which was the subject of a fierce three-way bidding war before being eventually knocked down to BJ and BJ Storer, Cunderdin.
It was Carl Storer's only purchase for the day, and although he paid more than what he was hoping to, he was intent on securing the 126kg ram sired by Moorundie Poll 073009 with August test results of 18.8 micron, 3.1 SD, 16.5 CV and 99.9 per cent comfort factor (CF), scanned 4.1mm fat and 37mm eye muscle depth (EMD).
The ram also had ASBVs of 42.8 YCFW, -0.4 YFD, 13.4 YWT, 0.1 YFAT, -0.2 YEMD, 191.8 MP+ and 194.7 DP+, with the DP+, MP+, YCFW and YWT ranking in the top 5pc
Mr Storer, Cadonia Park Poll Merino stud, said they were keen to inject a bit more Ejanding bloodline into their 400-head breeding ewe flock.
"We last bought from Ejanding in about 2015, and have just seen the last of their offspring come through," Mr Storer said.
"This ram ticked all the boxes in the ASBVs, which we looked at as well as his clean fleece weight, his good structure and big frame.
"We went a bit over budget but are really happy with him."
It was a similar story with the top-priced Merino ram, which sold for $4000 and was the only purchase made by Wongamine Grazing Co, Northam for the day.
A first-time buyer at Ejanding, Glenn Smith said he went to the sale after he saw the ram at the Narrogin Long Wool Day, while his father had seen him on display at the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days.
Sired by Ejanding 190537, the 119kg ram was described by Mr Hathway as the complete package when calling for bids on the first Merino ram offered in the catalogue, with wool figures including 19.3 micron, 3.8 SD, 19.7 CV, 99.9pc CF and scanned 3.7mm fat and 34mm EMD.
It also recorded strong performance data at 38.8 YCFW, -0.7 YFD, 8.3 YWT, -0.7 YFAT, -0.4 YEMD, 193.4 MP+ and 191.1 DP+, with the YCFW, MP+ and DP+ ranking in the top 5pc.
Mr Smith breeds his own rams and tries to continually introduce new genetics into his flock, buying one or two new sires each year to be used over his 700-head nucleus ewe flock.
"This big bold sirey ram caught my eye down at Narrogin, and it had a background similar to what we had, as well as being in that 20-20.5 micron range that we average," Mr Smith said.
The strong competition was reflected in the buyers' list, with all but one of the 41 registered making a purchase during the sale run in conjunction by Elders and Nutrien Livestock.
The second-top priced ram of the afternoon attracted a winning bid of $4600, which was paid by IA and CA Kerr, Coorow, for a big 120kg Poll Merino in pen 6.
Sired by Ejanding Poll 186034, the ram had measurements including 17.9 micron, 3.1 SD, 17.3 CV, 99.8pc CF, 69pc yield, 6mm fat and 38.5mm EMD, along with ASBVs of 43.9 YCFW, -0.5 YFD, 13.3 YWT, 0.8 YFAT, 1.2 YEMD, 196.8 MP+ and 205 DP+.
The Kerrs also purchased a second Poll Merino ram for $3300, weighing in at 113kg and with 16.2 micron wool.
The volume buyer was the Sparkman family, Shanadale Pty Ltd, Perenjori, which stocked up with a team of 21 rams, including 15 Merinos at an average of $2013 and six Poll Merinos at an average of $2450.
The family paid to a top of $3600 for a 130kg Orrie Cowie 140050 Merino ram measuring 19.4 micron, 4 SD, 20.6 CV, 99.9pc CF, 62.3pc yield, 4.2mm fat and 37mm EMD, with ASBVs including 27.3 YCFW, -0.8 YFD, 15.4 YWT, -0.2 YFAT, -0.3 YEMD, 170.4 MP+ and 174.4 DP+.
Meanwhile Ashley Sparkman also paid to a top of $3100 for an Ejanding Poll 196202 - the 90kg Poll Merino had figures of 18.9 micron, 3.9 SD, 99.9pc CF, 75.3pc yield, 2.9mm fat and 34mm EMD, and ASBVs of 21.4 YCFW, -1.5 YFD, 9 YWT, 0.7 YFAT, 2.2 YEMD, 159.7 MP+ and 174.4 DP+.
Mr Sparkman said the family had been buying from Ejanding since about 2008 and this was the biggest volume they had selected for about five years as they were looking to increase joinings to about 2300-2500 ewes.
While he made selections from both the Merino and Poll Merinos on offer, looking for early maturing, big-bodied rams, Mr Sparkman said he had a preference for Merinos.
"I love Merinos, they've been around for longer and therefore have older genetics, and I prefer their wool," Mr Sparkman said.
Also strong in their support of the Merino section of the catalogue was RE and WK Jones, Dowerin, with seven rams at an average of $1286 and to a top of $2200.
They also purchased one Poll Merino for $2600.
Whereas when it came to long-time volume buyers, W Emmott and Sons, Moonijin, their 15 head of rams purchased at an average of $1313 were only going to come from the Poll Merino offering.
Simon Emmott paid to a top of $1900 for a 96kg ram with tests of 17.9 micron, 3.9 SD, 21.8 CV, 99.9pc CF, 63.1pc yield, 3.6mm fat and 32.5mm EMD, along with ASBVs of 39.9 YCFW, -1.1 YFD, 6.6 YWT, -0.2 YFAT, 0.1 YEMD, 189.6 MP+ and 190.7 DP+.
Simon Emmott said Ejanding had good quality sheep and he always knew he would get good quality Poll Merino rams from the stud which was conveniently located close to home.
"The quality gets better every year, and we were easily able to fill our requirements," Mr Emmott said.
He said he was looking for dual purpose rams to join with their 5000-head breeding ewe flock.
Also keen to bolster its Poll Merino stocks was AC and GL Ludemann, Bolgart, buying 13 rams at an average of $2246, which included paying to a top of $3700 for a twin ram sired by Ejanding Poll 155808.
Weighing 103kg, it had figures including 19.8 micron, 3.6 SD, 99.9pc CF, 72.6pc yield, 3.4mm fat, 34mm EMD, and ASBVs of 32.8 YCFW, -0.9 YFD, 10.7 YWT, 0.4 YFAT, 0.9 YEMD, 181.8 MP+ and 187.1 DP+.
Edward Ludemann, who was at the sale with father Geoff, said they had returned to the stud after attending the on-property ram sale for the first time last year where they bought six rams.
"We're really happy with those rams and the lambs on the ground from them, their performance was really good," Mr Ludemann said.
As growers who had used Poll Merino rams over their 2800 head ewe flock for a long time, Mr Ludemann said he was looking for rams with a good frame, good conformation and white, free-growing wool.
Along with their visual attributes, he also took measurements such as clean fleece weight, post-weaning weight and yearling weight into consideration when selecting rams to best suit the DNA flock profile of his ewe hoggets.
Meanwhile neighbour Adam Metcalf, trading as John Metcalf and sons, Dowerin, was the first buyer registered at the sale and made sure to fill his requirements, buying five Poll Merinos and four Merinos at an average of $2289, including to a top of $3300 for a Poll Merino and $3000 for a Merino ram.
A long-time client, Mr Metcalf said while he preferred Poll Merinos, he was looking for rams with good figures including wool cut and yearling weight, to use over his 1850 breeding ewes.
NB & KL Frearson, Wongan Hills, bought eight Poll Merinos at an average of $2438, including to a top of $3200 for a 107.5kg Ejanding Poll 155808 son with 19.8 micron, 3.9 SD and 99.7pc CF, while also ranking in the top 10pc for YCFW and YWT.
Hollins Farming, Walkaway, bought six Poll Merinos at an average of $2150 and to a top of $3000 for the 113kg ram in pen three, with wool figures including 18.6 micron, 3.2 SD, 17.2 CV and 99.9pc CF, and MP+ and YCFW ranking in the top 5pc and DP+ and YWT in the top 10pc.
IT Leeson and Co, Goomalling, bought seven rams at an average of $1500, including to a top of $2600 for a Poll Merino ram, while B & E King, Bunjil, bought six rams to a top of $2500 and at an average of $1483.
Michael Metcalf, Wheeldonvale, Dowerin, bought five rams at an average of $2500 and to a top of $3200, while a number of buyers bought four rams each - GL Robert and Son, Goomalling, at an average of $2750 and to a top of $3000 twice; Millane Holdings, Pingelly, at an average of $2000 and to a top of $2700; Hillroy Farms, Brookton, at an average of $3050 and to a top of $3600; Mulinolin Farms, Meckering, at an average of $1275 and to a top of $2100; and T & S Wilding, Northam, at an average of $3100 and to a top of $3900 for a Merino ram.
