THE Westerdale Poll Merino on-property ram sale at McAlinden last week continued its upward momentum from last year highlighting it as one of the sales to watch on the Western Australian selling calendar.
After bucking the trend last year and seeing a lift in average of $309, this year the Jackson family saw their average rise by $311.
Buyers chasing quality, bright, white-woolled Poll Merino rams with good cutting ability were out in force at the Jackson family's sale and bid up strongly on the impressive catalogue of rams pushing prices to a high of $10,750.
With strong support from a long list of return buyers, chasing the quality 'true blue' wools for which the stud is renowned, the sale was strong and consistent throughout.
When the final ram was knocked down by Elders auctioneer Nathan King, the stud had cleared 133 of the 140 rams offered under the hammer for an impressive average of $2503 and a total gross of $332,950, to 23 buyers from the local area and as far away as Ravensthorpe in the east and Bindoon in the north.
In comparison, last year the stud sold 137 rams from 140 offered for an average of $2190.
Mr King said it was a great sale for the Jackson family and a credit to the line-up of rams they presented and their breeding program.
"Given how wet it was in this area in July and August and that the rams never really had any dry they presented extremely well," Mr King said.
"The Jacksons had close to 800 millimetres (of rain) this year and you couldn't tell it in the rams, they handled it well and that was the general comment from everyone in the shed.
"The sale result certainly reinforces how good the quality of the Westerdale rams is.
"The best judges when it comes to the quality of rams offered by a stud are its clients and today they certainly bid strongly, showing they certainly believe in the Westerdale bloodline and were extremely happy with the rams on offer.
"Again it was predominantly long-term clients who were extremely active, putting together sizable teams."
With a very good line-up of rams, it was easy to see why the event was solid and consistent throughout and as a result rams in the last row were still making more than $2000.
Along with presenting extremely well despite the near 800mm of rain on them since the beginning of the year, the rams also had very good wool figures to match.
The team's average May wool figures were 17.8 micron, 3.2 SD, 18.2 CV, 99.8 per cent comfort factor (CF) and a 4.7 kilogram greasy fleece weight (GFW) for six months' growth.
The stud's first run of 20 rams set up the strong result for the Jackson family when they sold to an average of $3595 and it was right at the front of this run that the day's $10,750 top-priced ram was found.
Mr King took an opening bid of $5000 on the upstanding, deep, square ram in lot 1 and from there the price raced up as he fielded bids from two keen bidders.
Return buyer of more than 10 years, the Rhodes family, Rhodes Pastoral Pty Ltd, Boyup Brook, bidding through its sheep manager Phil Corker, was the last one standing and had the final bid at $10,750 on the Glenlea Park 881 son.
Mr Corker said the ram was a standout and a true sire.
"He has a leg in all four corners and stands up very proud," Mr Corker said.
"He has a really good constitution, which is something we look for.
"He also has a very bright, white wool and looks to have plenty of wool on him.
"We were chasing the Glenlea Park bloodline as it will be an outcross for us and thought it was worth using in our flock."
The stylish woolled ram had wool figures of 16.9 micron, 3.1 SD, 19.8 CV, 99.9pc CF and 5.2kg GFW to go with a faecal egg count (FEC) of zero.
The Rhodes' buying spree continued when it also paid the $5750 fourth top price for another Glenlea Park 881 son, which Mr Corker said also had a good constitution.
"He is an upstanding ram with a big backend," Mr Corker said.
The AI-bred ram had wool figures of 18.3 micron, 3.3 SD, 18.1 CV, 99.8pc CF and 4.6kg GFW plus a FEC of 40.
Rhodes Pastoral finished with a team of four rams at an average of $6375, of which three will most likely be used in its nucleus flock of 1000 ewes to breed rams for its own use.
Mr Corker said they have been on the Westerdale bloodline since 2004 and liked it because the sheep were bred for their environment.
"We could chase larger-framed rams from out in the Wheatbelt but these grow out just as well but more importantly they have the white wools we need for our environment," Mr Corker said.
"They give us great wool cuts and top carcase weights."
This year the enterprise is looking to join 15,000 ewes to Poll Merino rams for a May/ June lambing and another 10,000 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams for a May lambing.
Last year they turned off 1200 of their June-drop Merino wether lambs as suckers straight off their mothers to V&V Walsh in mid-October for an average of $130 a head while the rest went through its feedlot.
This year Mr Corker said they wouldn't sell any of their Merino wether lambs as suckers as the season had not allowed for them to be able to get any off early.
"This year we will take our wether lambs through and shear them in January and then put them through the feedlot," Mr Corker said.
A well-covered, long-stapled, stylish woolled ram in lot 49 was also chased by buyers and eventually sold for the $6800 second top price to Steven and Dale Browne, SE & SA Browne, Bindoon, who have been buying from the stud for 33 years.
Dale Browne said they liked the ram for its white, long-stapled, elite wool.
"We were chasing a ram with elite staple length as we are wanting to shear every six months instead of the eight which we are doing at present and this ram certainly ticked the box in terms of staple length."
The ram which was bred from Yarrawonga bloodlines had wool figures of 17.1 micron, 2.7 SD, 15.9 CV, 100pc CF and 4.5kg GFW as well as a FEC of 160.
The Brownes will use the ram in their nucleus flock of 200 to 250 ewes, to breed rams for their own use, something they have been doing for 25 years.
This year the Brownes are looking to join 1800 to 2000 ewes to Merino sires as they look to build up their Merino numbers having run a flock of first-cross Border Leicester-Merino cross ewes in the past.
The third best price was $6250 paid by Clive Drage, Lindsay stud, Mt Barker, who is slowly developing the Poll side of his flock.
Mr Drage said the ram had an extremely soft, free growing, very white wool with good staple length.
"He has the wool type we need to suit our heavy rainfall environment," Mr Drage said.
"He is also a very robust ram with a good make and shape."
The ram had wool figures of 17.1 micron, 3.1 SD, 18.3 CV, 99.8pc CF and 5.4kg GFW to go with a FEC of zero.
There were a number of buyer which averaged more than $3000 for their teams (more than one ram).
Outlaying the highest average of these was DR & SE Earnshaw, Bowelling, which averaged $3875 over a team of four that topped at $4300, while return buyer of six years, IG & SB Rutherford & Sons, Duranillin, averaged $3475 over a team of seven which topped at $4600.
Rounding out the buyers in this category was return buyer of 15 years, the Smith family, Marlo Farm Nominees, Gnowangerup.
Brad and Roz Smith, with the assistance of Colin Kingston, worked their way through the catalogue and ended up with a team of eight to a top of $4100 and an average of $3050.
The Smiths, who will join 2000 ewes this year to Poll Merino rams, like the Westerdale bloodline as it produces good sheep for them that grow out well in the Gnowangerup area.
"They have good frames, are easy-care and cut plenty of wool," Mr Smith said.
The volume buyer title went to David Inglis, Bondfield Farm, Boyup Brook, who has bought from the stud for more than 40 years.
Mr Inglis, who continues to buy at Westerdale because the sheep are good consistent wool cutters with solid frames, purchased 14 rams to a top of $3100 (three times) and an average of $2421.
Just one ram behind Mr Inglis and purchasing 13 rams at an average of $2554 and to a top of $3800 were Boyup Brook producers Ronald and Helen Tuckett, RL & HM Tuckett, who have supported the stud since its foundation in 1978.
Mr Tuckett said he has continued to buy at the stud over such a long period as the Westerdale sheep have the wool quality to withstand the higher rainfall of the area.
"They have bright, white, soft wools and good frames," Mr Tuckett said.
"They are really suited to our environment."
The Tucketts' flock averages 18.5 micron and a 5.1kg cut and this year they are looking to join 2800 ewes to Poll Merino sires and another 1600 Merino ewes to Poll Dorset rams for a July/August lambing.
Also featuring strongly in the clerking sheets and taking home 10 rams were clients since 1978, Martin, Debra and Justin Carroll, Carroll Family Enterprises, Boyup Brook.
The Carrolls, who will join 2200 ewes to Poll Merino sires this year, paid a top of $3100 and averaged $2230 across their team.
Other strong sale supporters was Stretch Enterprises, Kojonup, which averaged $2300 over a team of nine while PR & JA McElroy, Boyup Brook and Power Grazing, Busselton, both purchased eight rams at averages of $1613 and $2038 respectively.
