THE Lukin Springs Poll Merino and White Suffolk stud continues to grow from strength to strength following another rewarding result at the Goerling family's sixth annual on-property ram sale at Boyup Brook on Monday.
Loyal clients returning in numbers appreciated the outstanding team of 89 free growing, dual purpose Poll Merino rams and the 107 well-structured, powerful White Suffolk rams, reflecting the Goerling's continued investment in leading genetics with the evenness and quality presentation of the sale team drawing plenty of comments throughout the day.
When Nutrien Livestock Katanning agent and auctioneer Mark Warren had navigated his way through the worthy line-up of quality bred sires, which were backed by MerinoSelect and LambPlan figures, the stud had achieved a 93 per cent clearance overall and recorded a top price of $4000.
The $4000 top price came from the Poll Merino catalogue, realising a complete clearance for the 89 head offered under the hammer to a healthy $1516 average, up a pleasing $346 on last year's sale result when 73 sold.
Their White Suffolk counterparts didn't disappoint, with 94 out of the 107 selling at auction to a $3000 top price and a $1204 average, slightly down $96 on last year's result when 118 out of the 120 sold.
Like tradition, Lukin Springs stud co-principal David Goerling welcomed everyone to their annual sale, describing how well the paddock run rams had performed having had 700 millimetres of rain on them this season.
Mr Goerling was also delighted to introduced Andrew and Rosemary Michael, Leahcim Poll Merino and White Suffolk studs, Snowtown, South Australia, who had travelled across the border to inspect the family's offering following strong support from the Goerlings who have been purchasing Leahcim genetics for the last 10 years.
"The Goerling family has used a lot of our bloodlines over the years as we have some of the highest ASBV accuracies of any breeder in Australia," Mr Michael said.
"Being a director of Meat & Livestock Australia, I have a really good understanding of where the future of the industry is going and the importance of meat traits in the Merino breed, the value of wool and the traceability of genomics to generate a progressive product."
Mr Michael said he hadn't seen the Goerling sheep for several years, but it was great to see how well they adapt to the high rain area.
"The Lukin Spring rams have stacked up very well compared to our other clients in similar seasonal areas," Mr Michael said.
"The rams have great wool quality, and their carcases are heading in the right direction.
"The family should be proud of breeding industry relevant sheep and pleased to see the Poll Merinos achieve a complete clearance at auction.
"Their exceptional quality of White Suffolks would have easily averaged more than $2000 in the Eastern States."
Poll Merino
The sale kicked off with the Poll Merino rams and Dyson Jones representative Tim Chapman was back and had his eye on an elite few, pushing prices to the days $4000 top price for an upstanding June/July drop ram in lot 4 on behalf of return buyer Darrell Baynes, DD & GH Baynes, Broomehill.
The stylish, white woolled May shorn ram had all the correct credentials, including above average figures of 15.2 micron, 3.1 SD, 20.4 CV, 99.9pc CF, while its ASBVs were 27 YCFW, -1.5 YFDCV, 9.5 YWT, 0.1 YFAT, -0.4 YEMD and expressed a DP+ of 171.
Mr Chapman put three other sires on Mr Baynes' account, bidding to $2300, $2400 and $1300 as he went down the line.
Mr Chapman said the Baynes have been on Lukin Springs genetics for approximately five years and really liked the top-priced ram's structure, square, deep body and wool figures which were above average for clean fleece weight, yielding weight and ASBV indexes.
"It displayed very stylish, bright white wool with a long staple length," Mr Chapman said.
"The Baynes run approximately 3000 Merino breeders and are satisfied with the Lukin Springs rams and how they perform in their enterprise."
Losing bidders on the top price ram were Gibson producers Wayne and Tracey Lewis, Fleming Grove.
They didn't fire another bid during the sale but weren't leaving empty handed and negotiated a private deal afterwards, paying $5000 for a stud reserve.
Neighbours and return clients Josh and Michelle Bleechmore, MJ & CH Bleechmore, weren't afraid to pay good money for the rams of their choice and in doing so purchased the $2800 second top-priced Poll Merino ram at auction.
The well-grown, fine woolled sire had wool figures of 16.4 micron, 3.4 SD, 21.0 CV and a 100pc CF, while it had ASBVs of 27 YCFW, -0.8 YFDCV, 13.1 YWT, 0.0 YFAT, -0.1 YEMD and a 168 DP+ index.
The Bleechmores secured six Poll Merinos during the auction at an impressive $2100 average.
"I was looking for Poll Merinos that had big frames and wool which would yield well," Mr Bleechmore said.
"We currently run 1000 Merino ewes which these Lukin Springs Poll Merino rams will be joined to."
Back to support the Goerling genetics was volume buyer and regular client of five years Tim Zadow, TJ & BM Zadow, Kojonup, who took home 17 head at a $1524 average and a top of $2200.
Mr Zadow was looking for rams that had good wool, could handle higher rainfall areas and had good figures.
He currently runs a flock of 4500 commercial ewes and 1500 head are joined to Poll Merino rams.
Regular buyer Rob Imrie, JH & GM & RG Imrie, Boyup Brook, knew quality when he saw it and snapped up seven at a top of $2600 and a $1900 average.
Mr Imrie's leading sire had wool figures of 16.6 micron, 3.4 SD, 20.8 CV and an ASBV index of 159 DP+.
Mr Imrie has been sourcing genetics from the stud for 16 years and said he buys rams with a long staple length and nice, soft wool to join to his self-replacing flock of 1000 Merinos.
"Our Merino wethers are often sold to the live export trade at 20 to 25 weeks-old," Mr Imrie said.
Long-term client of more than 20 years, Craig Neild, RJ & MH Neild, Boyup Brook, didn't miss out at this year's sale, purchasing seven rams at a $1114 average and to a high of $2000, while Rylington Park fought hard to secure its team of 10 at a top of $2300 and a $1730 average.
Buying a dozen was loyal producers GD Simpson & Son, Kojonup, who paid a $954 average, while Woodanilling based operation Miripin Farms picked some of the best, paying a top of $2200 at an average of $1850.
Loading six onto the back of the ute was DP & GR Cowcher, Darkan, when it outlaid a $2300 top for two sires and paid an average of $1583 for its selections.
DR & TM Treloar, Esperance, secured three Poll Merinos at a $1200 average, while local Boyup Brook producers LR Lee-Steere bought two at $900 and $1100 each.
White Suffolk
The evenness, depth and performance of the White Suffolk team had everyone talking and a powerful well-built ram caught the eye of many, but Nutrien Livestock breeding representative Roy Addis blew everyone away with his one and only bid at $3000.
Mr Addis bought the cracking sire on behalf of new buyer Jenny Roberts, Ambergate White Suffolk stud, Osmington, Busselton.
The late June drop ram showed plenty of thickness and growth for age and had LambPlan ASBVs figures of 0.32 BWT, 10.2 WWT, 16.4 PWWT, -0.2 PFAT, 1.9 PEMD and had indexes of 140.6 TCP and 139.8 SRC.
Mr Addis said Ms Roberts has a small flock of 70 breeders down south and was looking for a quality, outcross sire.
"I believe this particular ram had all the qualities relevant to today's industry," Mr Addis said.
"It's a well fleshed type, with a strong topline and great figures."
Volume buyer and loyal client Anthony Hallett, DM & JM Hallett, Boyup Brook, was back again this year to fulfill his requirements.
In doing so, Mr Hallett bid strongly on the White Suffolk rams to secure 31 at auction to an equal second top price of $2000 and an average of $1048.
The $2000 top priced ram was backed with ASBV figures of 0.26 BWT, 10.8 WWT, 17.9 PWWT, -0.1 PFAT, 1.8 PEMD and had indexes of 143.8 for TCP and SRC.
Mr Hallett, who is a large prime lamb producer, runs 10,500 Merinos which are mated to White Suffolk and Poll Dorset sires.
"Today I purchased rams with good weaning weights and plenty of frame," Mr Hallett said.
"I sell my prime lambs directly to V&V Walsh straight off mum at four to six months of age."
Marcus Gifford, HR & FA Gifford, Boyup Brook, had marked a number of rams down in his catalogue and was willing to pay for those better types, securing the $2000 equal second top-priced ram in pen 109 and averaging $1533 for his six head.
The Bleechmore family were also contenders in the White Suffolk run, securing six low birthweight, good growth rate White Suffolk sires at a top of $1700 and an average of $1400.
"They will be joined to 500 Border Leicester-Merino ewes to produce crossbred lambs," Mr Bleechmore said.
"We sell our prime lambs to V & V Walsh at 16 weeks-old straight off their mothers."
Mr Imrie also got his hand on seven at a top of $1600 and a $1257 average to join to his additional flock of Border Leicester-Merino ewes.
"The Border Leicester cross ewes make great mothers and breed our prime lambs which are sold directly to WAMMCO at 20 to 22-months-old," Mr Imrie said.
Like Mr Imrie, Mr Neild showed interest in the prime lamb ram offering and snapped up two at $1200 each, while Conyeling Park Grazing got hold of six White Suffolks at a $1217 average.
With an account totalling 14 rams at $800 each was AN Caldwell & Co, Kojonup, while DS Morgan, Quindanning, filled its order of four, paying a $1450 average.
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