THE second annual instalment of the Nutrien Livestocks two-day circuit sheep sale earlier this month has seen the fixture grow from strength to strength with another strong result.
With the special ewe sale at Merredin joining the traditional venues of Corrigin and Wickepin in 2020, the three legged, two-day format is proving popular with buyers and vendors alike with big crowds again flocking to all venues.
Across all three locations, numbers yarded grew to total 20,203 sheep and lambs.
Strong sheep and lamb markets, more favourable seasonal conditions throughout WA's agricultural regions and Eastern States' buyers ramping up their search for replacement breeding stock, saw values up on last year's market.
The Nutrien Livestock selling team headed by auctioneer Jarrad Hubbard and Mark Warren and backed by the company's strong network recorded a total clearance of all sheep to gross $4,479,520 at an overall average of $222.
Descriptions at all three venues were dominated by 1.5yo to 5.5yo ewes which included regular and new vendors' annual drafts and featured drafts of genuine lines of ewes from several flock dispersals and reductions.
Broken down, 17,531 ewes grossed $4,040,206 for an overall average of $230 while 2772 wether lambs grossed $439,214 to average $158.
Compared to last year's sale, this equalled a 2859 rise in total numbers offered from 17,164 with the strong market lifting the overall average by $36 from $186 with the sale's combined gross returns increased by $1,283,293 from $3,196,227.
In the breakdown of last year's sale, 11,964 1.5yo to 5.5yo ewes averaged $213 while 4728 wether lambs averaged $119.
Merredin
The first leg of the two-day circuit sheep fixture kicked off at the Merredin saleyards last Thursday with a large crowd of buyers, agents, vendors and onlookers turning out for the special ewe sale.
The Nutrien Livestock Wheatbelt team from Livestock & Land penned an excellent yarding of 8077 ewes which featured a number of genuine lines of Merino ewes through flock dispersals and reductions of well-known central and eastern Wheatbelt breeding flocks.
This saw numbers increase from last year's sale where 5955 mainly 1.5 to 5.5-year-old ewes were offered along with ewe and wether lambs.
A couple of prominent Eastern States' orders combined with strong local enquiry to record solid market values throughout the yarding.
At the completion of selling, auctioneer Jarrad Hubbard, Nutrien Livestock, Narembeen, had notched up a total clearance to gross $1,836,910 and an average across all age groups of $227.
Last year's sale averaged $197 across all descriptions.
This year's yarding consisted of 1.5yo to 4.5yo ewes which sold from $200 to $285 for spring shorn ewes and $200 to $250 for winter shorn drafts.
The sale hosted the final stage of Caffell & Sons, Tammin, flock dispersal of 2.5-year-old and 3.5yo Manunda blood September shorn ewes with the opening line of 262 2.5yo ewes weighing 85kg, selling for the sale's $285 top price.
The ewes were knocked down to Nutrien Livestock's Aaron Caldwell, Livestock & Land, who was buying for keen supporters of Wheatbelt ewes McKean McGregor, Bendigo, Victoria, who purchased the Caffell's 1.5yo ewes earlier in the selling season.
Mr Caldwell collected nine lines of ewes at the sale for this account totalling 2382 ewes with the other purchases ranging from $215 to $245.
Included in the haul were two lines of 2.5yo and 3.5yo ewes from the flock dispersal of SG Coleman, Cunderdin, paying to $245 for 267 2.5yo Cardiff/Cadonia Park blood August shorn ewes.
Mr Caldwell also paid $245 for 196 Kamballie blood August shorn 1.5yo ewes weighing 70kg offered by R & P Teakle, Cunderdin.
Mitch Clarke, Elders Merredin, also paid $245 for the Coleman dispersal's draft of 459 1.5yo ewes.
Another flock dispersal of 2.5yo to 4.5yo AMS blood September shorn ewes from KM & PM Walsh, Doodlakine, sold to stronger values with Nutrien Livestock's Rex Luers, Livestock & Land, paying the draft's $250 top price for 332 2.5yo ewes for a Kellerberrin buyer.
Mr Luers purchased numerous lines of ewes for several orders and also paid $250 for the Caffell's 194 3.5yo ewes for a Tammin buyer.
Nutrien Livestock's Tom Bowen secured a few lines of ewes for an order including a genuine line of 183 1.5yo Kolindale blood July shorn ewes for $250 offered by Yelbeni graziers CP & SR McAndrew.
A couple of annual draft lines of young ewes also sold for $250 with James King, Elders Narembeen, collecting 268 1.5yo Olinda/Cardiff blood April shorn ewes from Corrylynne Farms, Dowerin and Mr Bowen again paid $250 for a further 465 1.5yo Challara blood July shorn ewes from JF & MM Brennand, South Yilgarn, going to the same account.
Another higher price of $240 for annual draft ewes was paid by a Cunderdin grazier for 137 1.5yo Seven Oaks South blood September shorn ewes from the South Burracoppin paddocks of DJ & EA Brown.
Nutrien Livestock's Jake Finlayson, Livestock & Land, representing an Eastern States' order Forbes Livestock Agency & Co, New South Wales, acquired four lines of mature age ewes paying to $225 for the final pen of 203 4.5yo Lewisdale blood August shorn ewes averaging 82kg offered by H & L Willmott, Cunderdin.
Corrigin
The first leg on day two of the circuit sale kicked off at the Corrigin saleyards last Friday, where well-grown, maiden ewes sold to a $268 top twice.
In the sale, which was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus, the Nutrien Livestock team headed by agent Ty Miller, put together a quality yarding of ewes and wether lambs from the regular vendors from the local area.
The yarding consisted of 3008 predominantly winter and spring shorn 1.5 to 5.5yo large framed, good condition ewes and 1270 wether lambs and on the back of strong bidding from 46 registered bidders in the yards including a strong representation from the Nutrien Livestock network, plus another three active bidders on AuctionsPlus, prices strengthened on last year's red hot sale.
The three active online AuctionsPlus bidders placed 45 online bids over four lots which resulted in two lines selling to a buyer operating on the platform.
Broken down the 2452 1.5yo ewes averaged $249, while 554 proven breeders averaged $184 and 1270 wether lambs averaged $155.
The first line of 1.5yo ewes to hit the yarding's $268 top price comprised 193 July shorn, Claypans blood, ewes offered by regular vendors the Bell family, JA & KJ Bell, Corrigin.
The ewes were purchased by Andrew Poultney, for his uncle Ross Poultney, Ross Poultney - Livestock, Corrigin.
Mr Poultney said the ewes would be some extra replacement ewes for the enterprise and they would be joined to Suffolk rams for prime lamb production.
"I was chasing the Claypans bloodline as we have been on the Claypans bloodline for a number of years with good success," Mr Poultney said.
The other line of 1.5yo ewes to hit $268 was sold by another regular sale vendor the Talbot family, NB & DL Talbot & Co, Corrigin.
The line of 99 August shorn, Claypans blood ewes was purchased by Mark & Christie Whittington, M & C Whittington, Brookton, who were in the hunt for ewes as they are aiming to increase their breeding numbers.
The ewes will join the Whittington's 1100-head Merino breeding ewe flock which will be joined to White Suffolk and Texel rams this season.
The Whittingtons will also join 1200 ewes to Merino rams this year.
Just $2 short of these two top-priced pens and making $266 was a line of 398 July shorn, Claypans blood, 1.5yo ewes from long-time vendors the Hewett family, Chas Hewett & Co, Corrigin.
The line was purchased by Westcoast Wool & Livestock, York agent Mark Fairclough, as replacement ewes for a York prime lamb enterprise.
Three lines of 1.5yo ewes in the yarding made $258.
The Nicholls family, BW & CM Nicholls, Corrigin, sold a line of 386 August shorn, Kamballie blood ewes at this value.
The line was knocked down to Nutrien Livestock, Goomalling agent Andrew O'Connor, who purchased another two lines including 205 July shorn, Kamballie blood, 1.5yo ewes offered by Mount Joy Grazing Co, Northam, for $226.
Westcoast Wool & Livestock, Kulin agent Barry Gangell also went to $258 when he had the final bid on a line of 382 August shorn, Ronern blood, 1.5yo ewes offered by RE Thomas & Co, Corrigin.
The final line to sell at $258 was 177 Nepowie blood, December shorn, 1.5yo ewes offered by the James family, Stockdale Partners, Hyden, when Nutrien Livestock stud and commercial sheep manager Tom Bowen had the final bid on behalf of a Nutrien Ag Solutions, Ballarat, Victoria.
Regular vendors, the Guinness family, AM & MA Guinness, Corrigin, offered 258 August shorn, 1.5yo ewes and 372 September shorn, 5.5yo ewes, which were based on Rutherglen bloodlines.
The line of 1.5yo ewes sold at $242 to BJ Stacey & Co, Quairading, while the line of 5.5yo ewes made $186 when they were knocked down to Nutrien Livestock, Merredin agent, Aaron Caldwell.
When it came to the offering of wether lambs it topped at $164 for 341 May/June-drop, August shorn, Ronern blood wethers offered by RE Thomas & Co.
The line was purchased through AuctionsPlus by a local operation as feeder lambs.
Emanuel Exports buyer Warren Gray purchased two pens of wether lambs, paying $156 for 298 April-drop, August shorn, Claypans blood wethers offered by NB & DL Talbot & Co and $150 for 457 April/May drop, September shorn, Claypans blood wethers offered by Chas Hewett & Co.
There was one line of unshorn wethers offered and it comprised 174 June/July-drop, Seven Oaks South/Keetlen Valley blood wethers from KW & DH Graham, Hyden which sold at $152 to a local buyer on AuctionsPlus.
Wickepin
The two-day circuit sale was rounded out with the Wickepin leg of the fixture, which was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus, where another top yarding of ewes and wether lambs saw values reach $298 for young, summer shorn ewes.
The travelling entourage of Nutrien Livestock agents and buyers joined another big crowd of locals at the Wickepin saleyards to continue the strong market recorded at the sale's first two legs.
Along with the good buying support in the yards there were also an additional five active bidders on AuctionsPlus which placed 141 bids on 19 lots resulting in four selling to buyers operating through the platform.
In this leg of the sale Nutrien Livestock, Wickepin/Kulin agent Ty Miller, with regular sale vendors yarded 7848 well-bred and conditioned ewes and lambs.
Broken down, the yarding consisted of 4034 1.5yo which sold to an average of $238, while the 2412 proven breeding ewes ranging in age from 3.5yo to 5.5yo averaged $129 and the 1502 wether lambs averaged $161.
Topping the Wickepin leg and the sale overall at $298 was a large line of 475 March shorn, Eastville blood, 1.5yo ewes from the Hodgson family, Jefan Pty Ltd, Kulin.
The well-grown ewes which were carrying a full jacket were purchased by Warren Thomas, RW & JM Thomas, Mt Barker.
Mr Thomas said he purchased the ewes as replacement breeders for his prime lamb operation.
The Thomas family annually joins 4100 ewes to White Suffolk rams and aims to turn its lambs off as suckers to either processors or lotfeeders.
The next best price in the 1.5yo ewes category was $260 and it was recorded twice.
The first line to make this value was a genuine line of 476 August shorn, Eastville blood ewes offered by PJ Ellis & Co, Kulin, when it was purchased by BD & AM Rick, Newdegate.
The other line to sell at $276 was a smaller line of 200 August shorn, Kolindale blood ewes from the Thomson family, DW & RJ Thomson, Tincurrin.
The line was bought by Owen Sounness, Egypt Estate, Mt Barker, who was looking to buy ewes as replacement breeders to join to South Suffolk sires.
Other higher returns for 1.5yo ewes included $248 paid by a WA buyer on AuctionsPlus for 447 August shorn, East Mundalla blood ewes offered by EI & SM Astbury, Harrismith, while Millstream Pastoral, Albany, bid to $234 for 251 August shorn, Eastville blood ewes from Fleay & Fleay, Wickepin and $230 for 302 Darijon/Nepowie blood, September shorn ewes from Karen Williamson, Cuballing.
The Medlen family, TG & VM Medlen, Williams, purchased four lines of 1.5yo ewes (totalling 913 head) for between $182 to $222.
The Medlen's top price line at $222 consisted of 174 July shorn, Rutherglen blood ewes from R & S Elson, Yealering.
After the large offering of 1.5yo ewes the sale moved into the proven breeder lines which ranged in age from 3.5yo to 5.5yo and these topped at $260.
Taking the $260 top price value was a draft of 261 September shorn, Nepowie blood, 3.5yo ewes offered by Erinbrook Estate, Wickepin.
The line was purchased by Nutrien Livestock, Merredin agent Aaron Caldwell, for a Wheatbelt operation.
Also making good money were 392 February shorn, Coromandel blood, 4.5yo ewes offered by Warrego Farms, Lake Grace, when they sold at $236 to a WA buyer operating on AuctionsPlus, while Westcoast Wool & Livestock Kulin agent Barry Gangell bid to $230 for a draft of 348 August shorn, Eastville blood, 4.5yo ewes offered by PJ Ellis & Co.
The best of 5.5yo ewes made $202 when Mr Miller picked up a line of 459 Ronern blood, September shorn ewes offered by PL & JA Russell, Wickepin.
The next best return for 5.5yo ewes was $198 recorded twice.
Williams enterprise WG & EM Petchell bid to this value for 248 September shorn, Rutherglen blood ewes offered by Ngaree Farms, Wickepin, while SR & JE Noble, Kulin, secured a line of 146 September shorn, Eastville blood ewes at this value from MG & B Green, Wickepin.
There were two lines of September shorn, East Mundalla blood wether lambs offered in the yards by DW & RJ Thomson and both were purchased by a South Australian operation buying through AuctionsPlus.
The first draft of 742 sold at $162, while the second line made up of 760 head sold at $160.
What the agent said:
NUTRIEN Livestock, Wheatbelt agent Rex Luers, Livestock & Land, said it was a quality line-up of ewes that sold to good values across the sale and thanked everyone involved for their efforts and support.
"The third annual sale at the Merredin sheep yards is proving to be a very good place to source quality, large frame, heavy cutting WA Wheatbelt breeding sheep," Mr Luers said.
"Thank you to our vendors, local buyers and agents and Eastern States' buyers who supported the sale.
"Special mention to the livestock carriers that transported more than 8000 sheep to the yards in a professional and timely manner."
Nutrien Livestock, Corrigin/Wickepin/Kulin agent Ty Miller said both the Corrigin and Wickepin sales were strong throughout and prices were above presale expectations.
"At Corrigin the 1.5yo ewes, which displayed outstanding frames and condition, saw very strong and consistent prices, while the 5.5yo ewes saw returns of $10 to $15 above mutton prices," Mr Miller said.
"The wether lambs at Corrigin made more than everyone thought.
"It was a good time for producers to be selling them as there was strong demand from live export, light trade lamb abattoirs and graziers.
"When it came to Wickepin, buyers were again strong on the 1.5yo ewes and these sold at similar values to Corrigin.
"The top price line, which was the first line offered, had a good jacket which resulted in them making just shy of $300 but along with their good jacket they also had plenty of weight in them.
"The older sheep at Wickepin were all proven breeders with very good weight and they made very consistent prices and although heavy received a premium above the mutton market.
"The two big lines of wether lambs at Wickepin attracted a premium due to being a neat B-Train load and they headed east."
