IT was a massive day out at Gnowangerup last week when the House family recorded one of the biggest results in WA for on-property Merino and Poll Merino ram sales, averaging a massive $2202 and grossing more than $670,000.
Buyers turned up in their droves to get their hands on the quality genetics offered in the sale from the family's Barloo and Willemenup studs and they weren't disappointed when they walked into the shed.
After hosting their first combined Barloo/Willemenup sale last year, the House family again put together an impressive offering of 318 well-made, well-grown, quality woolled Barloo and Willemenup sires, all tied up and standing on green artificial lawn in their ram selling complex and buyers responded accordingly, pushing prices to $7000 for a Willemenup Poll Merino and $6000 for a Barloo Merino.
Right through the catalogue there was strong competition from 57 registered stud and commercial buyers, who had travelled from as far away as Mingenew in the north and Muntadgin in the Wheatbelt, plus there were also two buying orders from New South Wales in the shed and as a result, rams in the last row were making more than $2000 when they were the right types for buyers.
When the numbers were crunched after more than four hours of selling by Elders auctioneers Nathan King and Preston Clarke, 306 or 96 per cent of the rams offered were headed to 52 new homes at an average of $2202, which was up $360 on last year and an overall gross of $673,800, which was a jump of $134,150 on 2020.
In the breakdown the House family offered 211 Barloo rams (126 Merinos and 85 Poll Merinos) and sold 201 (123 Merinos and 78 Poll Merinos) for an average of $2219, which was up $323 on the Barloo result last year.
In 2020 there were 248 Barloo rams offered and 199 sold for an average of $1896.
When it came to the Willemenup offering, there were 107 Willemenup rams offered in the sale and 105 were cleared under the hammer at an average of $2170, which was up $444 on last year.
In comparison, in last year's sale there were 94 Willemenup rams sold from 101 offered at an average of $1727.
So much so was demand for the House's rams that when the sale finished buyers quickly moved to the private sale shed and purchased another 40 by private selection.
Elders stud stock representative and Barloo classer Russell McKay was extremely pleased with the final result and said it was a very strong sale throughout.
"It is probably the best ram sale I've been to in WA since the Toll family offered 300 rams in their Jaloran sale and averaged more than $1000 for the first time," Mr McKay said.
"You got an electric feeling that day at Jaloran and this sale was the same.
"The presentation of the sale was superb and a credit to the House family.
"Not only was it a great line-up of rams but the visual appeal of the ram selling complex with the rams tied up on the green mats was impressive and created a great aurora for the sale.
"It was a top line-up of rams from start to finish, the Merinos on offer were powerful, big, productive rams with white, stylish wool oozing quality and were certainly standouts.
"In saying that the Polls also presented very well right through the sale and were also big, productive rams.
"There was strong buying support right through the catalogue from a long list of return buyers and also a handful of new ones including two orders for the first time from New South Wales which were very strong at the top end.
"The sale was very well supported again by the Elders stud stock team and company network and how it ran faultlessly was a credit to Elders Gnowangerup agent Richard Poulish due to his professionalism and organisational skills.
"The final sale result was certainly well up on expectations in terms of prices and clearance and was just reward for the House family for the time, effort and money they put into their stud operation."
The sale kicked off with an offering of 35 March shorn, shed-prepared rams from both the Barloo and Willemenup lines and they got it off to a ripping start selling for an average of $4437, while the first 100 averaged more than $3300.
While it was Barloo rams which dominated the top prices last year, this year it was a Willemenup sire, which attracted the most interest and the $7000 top price tag.
When Mr King offered up the upstanding, structurally correct ram in lot three, he received an opening bid of $4000 and from there a number of interested parties threw in bids in quick succession.
Finally when the price hit $7000, Mr King knocked the ram down to return Barloo client of 20 years Steve Rayner, RA & JB Rayner, West Brookton.
Mr Rayner said the ram was a good all round sire.
"He has a good structure and carcase traits plus a good, white, heavy cutting wool," Mr Rayner said.
"We will use him in our nucleus flock of 180 ewes to breed rams for our own use."
The classy sire is by Maximus 195 and had August wool figures of 20.2 micron, 3.2 SD, 15.7 CV and 99.6 per cent comfort factor (CF).
It also had a wool growth rate of 1120 grams per month and a daily weight gain figure of 289g/day.
The Rayners this year will join 1200 ewes to Merino rams and another 400 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams for a June lambing.
The Rayner's flock averages 20.5 micron with a 6.5 kilogram cut.
The next best price of $6750 was also recorded by a Willemenup Poll sire in lot 12 when it sold at this value to the Pech family, North Stirling Downs Pty Ltd, Gnowangerup.
The big, square sire was also a son of Maximus 195.
It had August wool test results of 21.5 micron, 3.3 SD, 15.5 CV and 98.9pc CF to go with a wool growth rate of 920g/month and a daily weight gain of 318g/day.
The third top price overall and the highest price paid for a Barloo ram was $6000 when a long, deep-bodied Merino ram in lot seven was knocked down to clients of more than 50 years Greg and Damien Stewart, Teddington Farms, Gnowangerup.
Damien Stewart said the ram was a nice, big plain-bodied sheep with a free growing wool.
"His wool is bright and white and has a nice crimp," Mr Stewart said.
The ram was sired by Impact and had August wool test results of 18.6 micron, 3.3 SD, 17.8 CV and 99.8pc CF to go with a wool growth rate of 1040g/month and a daily weight gain of 289g/day.
Along with buying the $6000 top-priced Barloo Merino ram the Stewarts also purchased another four Barloo Merinos to finish with a team of five at an average of $5100.
They paid $4750 for three rams and $5250 for another.
The $5250 ram had August wool test results of 19.2 micron, 3.3 SD, 17.4 CV and 99.5pc CF to go with a wool growth rate of 1000g/month and a daily weight gain of 3120/day.
Mr Stewart said they liked the Barloo bloodline as they were big framed, easy-care sheep with a good quality and quantity of wool."
The Stewart's mature ewes average 19.5 to 20 micron with a seven to eight kilogram cut.
This season the Stewarts are aiming to join 1200 ewes to Merinos for a June lambing which they changed to this year due to a run of dry seasons.
When it came to the catalogue of Barloo Poll Merino rams the best price for these was $4750 bid by client of more than 50 years David Bungey, ER Bungey & Son, Borden.
Mr Bungey went to $4750 for a Barloo Shrek son which had August wool tests of 20.0 micron, 3.3 SD, 16.4 CV and 99.8pc CF.
Along with the top Barloo Poll sire, Mr Bungey went home with another three Barloo rams (one Merino and two Polls) and three Willemenup Polls to finish with seven rams on the ute at an average of $3800.
Mr Bungey said they have continued to buy from Barloo because they bred easy-doing sheep with good constitutions.
"The Barloo sheep also cut plenty of wool and have good growth rates," Mr Bungey said.
The Bungey flock averages 21 micron with a 7.5kg cut and this year they are looking to join 2300 ewes to mainly Poll Merino rams, along with 500 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams.
There were a number of other buyers to purchase at the top end and these included GL & A Hinkley, Gnowangerup, which purchased two Barloo Merinos to a top of $5750 and Jokar Farming, Broomehill, went to $5750 for a Willemenup sire which was part of a team of three (two Willemenups and one Barloo Poll), while DF Shackley & Co, Woodanilling, purchased a Barloo Merino at $5250 and AK & AJ Mead, Ravensthorpe, went home with five Barloo Merinos to a top of $4500 and an average of $3880.
Cramphorne Farms, Muntadgin, went to $5000 for a single Barloo Merino and Heal Farming, Three Springs, purchased two Willemenup sires to a top of $5000.
But there were also a number of buyers who were not afraid to bid up while purchasing larger teams.
Return buyer of more than 35 years Geoff Cosgrove, Cosgrove Farming, Mingenew, like years gone by, again featured heavily in the clerking sheet.
Mr Cosgrove, who likes the Barloo sheep for their robustness, big frames and heavy wool cuts, finished the sale with 17 rams (13 Barloo Merinos, three Barloo Polls and one Willemenup) to a top of $5000 paid for a Barloo Merino and an average of $3250.
Mr Cosgrove said he was chasing rams with good body growth rates as their aim was to turn their wether lambs off at 10-11 months old.
This year they turned their 2020-drop wethers off as shippers in late May after two shearings for $156 a head.
The Cosgrove's ewe flock from hoggets up averages 20 to 21 micron with the ewes cutting 7kg a head.
This season the Cosgroves are aiming to join 3100 ewes all to Merino and Poll Merino sires.
Also bidding strongly was Peter Bailey Partners, Narembeen, which averaged $2700 over a team of eight Barloo Merinos which topped at $5000, while Capemont Farms, Katanning, secured five Willemenup rams at an average of $3960 and to a top of $5500 paid for an 18.3 micron, 99.6pc CF ram.
The volume buyer was the English family, C & M English, Wagin, bidding via Mr McKay.
Mr McKay worked his way through the catalogue and secured 20 Barloo Merino sires for the Wagin enterprise at an average of $1255 and to a top of $2000.
Peter English said the family had been buying from Barloo for 14 years and they liked the bloodline because it was quick maturing and had nice, white, free growing wools.
This year the English family is looking to join 4400 ewes, all to Merino rams.
Last year's volume buyer, the Egerton-Warburton family, G & M Egerton-Warburton, Frankland, which has purchased from Willemenup rams for years, was again another big buyer this year securing a team of 10 Barloo rams (eight Polls and two Merinos) plus six Willemenup sires to a top of $3300 and an average of $2044.
Grant Egerton-Warburton said they were chasing bigger framed rams with fine, bright, white wools to suit their environment.
"Our mature ewe flock averages 19 micron and that's where we want to be," Mr Egerton-Warburton said.
This year the Egerton-Warburton family will join 6000 ewes to Merino and Poll Merino rams, while another 7000 Merino ewes will be joined to Poll Dorset, Suffolk and Border Leicester rams.
There were five other buyers to purchase double figure teams and the biggest of these was DM, MCL and JA Stewart, Lake Grace, which purchased 15 rams made up of Merinos and Polls Merinos from both studs at an average of $1320 and to a top of $2600.
Crystal Brook Grazing, Kojonup, secured 13 Polls (11 Willemenups and two Barloos) at a $1385 average and Warrenup Pastoral, Kojonup, averaged $1847 across 13 Polls (eight Willemenups and five Barloos).
The other two buyers to purchase double figure ute loads were Tapscott Pastoral, Jerramungup, which went home with 11 Polls from both teams at an average of $1273, while fellow Jerramungup enterprise TA & AR Ross purchased 10 Polls from both teams at a $2580 average.
Along with buying for the English family, Mr McKay was also holding the buying order of the two New South Wales operations and for these orders he was chasing rams with rich, crimpy, free growing wools that also had a good frame and cutting ability.
Mr McKay said the NSW buyers had seen the Barloo sheep over the years and they like WA's plain, productive types, so they were keen to operate in the sale.
He purchased six Polls (two Willemenups and four Barloo rams) to a top of $4500 and an average of $2633 for the Schneider family, Closeburn Partnership, Grenfell, NSW, which also purchased the Willemenup ram the House family offered in the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Ram Sale at Katanning.
The other NSW-based enterprise Mr McKay purchased for was Glanville Pastoral Trust, Grenfell and for this account he purchased three Willemenup sires and four Barloo rams (two Merinos and two Polls) to a top of $3300 and an average of $2343.
