WITH a good season in the area and a quality line-up of Merino, Poll Merino, Dohne and terminal sires on offer, buyers were out in force at last week's Esperance Breeders' Ram Sale, ensuring it was again one of the best in history.
Like last year with most in the area experiencing a good season and bright outlook for the livestock industry, buyers weren't afraid to bid up on the rams they wanted in the line-up which was the biggest ever offered in the sale's history.
In the sale, which now ranks as the biggest multi-breed, multi-vendor sale in the State, 11 studs offered a combined yarding of 353 Merino, Poll Merino, Dohne, White Suffolk and Suffolk rams and they were well received by the 56 registered buyers, who were solid in their bidding from beginning to end.
This solid competition right through the catalogue ensured a successful outcome, with both the number of rams sold and the overall gross rising significantly on last year.
In the Merino section, prices regularly went beyond the $3000 mark and topped at $5000, while in the prime sire side, prices hit a high of $2600 for a White Suffolk ram.
When the final figures were crunched, a mix of local buyers and a number from further afield had cleared 93 per cent or 329 rams under the hammer, of Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Neil Brindley and Elders auctioneer James Culleton, after more than three and a half hours of selling, for a total gross of $505,900 and an average of $1538.
In comparison to last year's sale, there were 57 more rams sold this year and the gross was up $84,900, while the average was back $10 on last year's figure of $1548.
Mr Brindley said it was a strong result for breeders given it was the biggest catalogue of rams ever offered in the fixture.
"It was not the biggest crowd we have seen at the sale, but those buyers in attendance were certainly very willing to compete on the rams they wanted, which ensured the sale's success," Mr Brindley said.
"It was a quality line-up of rams throughout the shed and they presented sensationally well on the back of a good season in the area and this quality no doubt contributed to the sale's success.
"The final sale result was certainly stronger than we expected given the number of sheep left in the area and the dip in the wool and sheep market in recent months."
Mr Culleton said overall it was a very good outcome for the breeders.
"To sell nearly 60 more rams than last year and the average be back only $10 across the whole shed on last year is a credit to the breeders and the work they do in their breeding programs," Mr Culleton said.
"It was a good line-up of rams across the shed which were a credit to the breeders and the prices were certainly solid throughout, with buyers prepared to bid up strongly on the rams they really wanted."
Merino and Poll Merino
The Merinos and Poll Merinos were the first offered and made up the majority of the rams in the shed.
In this side of the fixture, four studs offered 232 rams and by the end of the run on the back of some spirited bidding, 221 had sold under the hammer to a top of $5000 and for an average of $1819, which was up $101 on last year's result.
In comparison, last year 182 rams were sold from 198 offered at an average of $1718.
Like the past couple of years, the Vandenberghe family's Wattle Dale stud, Scaddan, led the charge in the section, not only offering the largest team but also recording the day's $5000 top price to set a new stud record price.
The Vandenberghes offered and sold 120 Poll Merino and Merino rams under the hammer of Nutrien Livestock at an average of $1548, which meant they sold 15 more rams than last year and their average was up $106.
Last year the stud offered 110 rams and sold 105 at an average of $1442 and to a top of $4000 twice.
Topping the Wattle Dale team and the sale at $5000, was a well-covered, soft, white woolled Merino ram penned one third of the way through the Wattle Dale team in lot 134 when it was knocked down to long-term return buyers Dave and Lyn Mathwin, Barrule Grazing Co, Kojonup.
Ms Mathwin said she picked the ram out as it was a well-put-together sire with good figures.
"His figures matched his physical attributes and micron was in our range," Ms Mathwin said.
"He also had a good fleece weight figure which was also important to us as we are trying to increase our wool cut while maintaining our micron at about 18 for our mature sheep."
The twin-born, 105 kilogram sire had wool figures of 18.7 micron and 3.4 SD and Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of -2.8 yearling fibre diameter (YFD), 9.7 yearling weight (YWT), -0.2 yearling fat (YFAT), -0.6 yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD), 25.6 yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW), as well as indexes of 199 for MP+ and 199 DP+.
These ASBVs rank it in the top 1pc for the MP+ index, top 5pc for the DP+ index and YFD, as well as top 10pc for YWT on MerinoSelect.
Along with securing the top-priced ram, the Mathwins purchased another four rams from the Wattle Dale run to average $3420 across their team of five.
Also in the team heading to Kojonup at $4300, was a 98kg doubled-polled sire which ranks in the top 1pc for the MP+ index and top 5pc for YFD, YCFW and the DP+ index and at $3100 a 17.9 micron, 96.5kg polled ram which ranks in the top 5pc for the MP+ and DP+ indexes.
This year the Mathwins will join 1200 ewes to Merinos for a June/July lambing and they are hoping to get a similar lambing result to this season where they achieved 102pc on ewes scanned.
Ms Mathwin said they have been long-term supporters of the Wattle Dale stud, having purchased from it even when it was located in Kojonup as the stud's breeding objectives matched up with theirs.
"They are good productive sheep with nice, bright, white wools," Ms Mathwin said.
"They suit and do well in our environment and our wool always sells well."
Just shy of the $5000 top price in the Wattle Dale offering was a deep-bodied, well-covered doubled polled ram when it sold at $4900 to repeat buyer Ash Reichstein, Laurina Farms, Esperance.
The 101kg sire has wool figures of 18.8 micron and 3.0 SD, while it ranks in the top 5pc for YCFW as well as the DP+ and MP+ indexes.
This wasn't the only ram Mr Reichstein purchased from the Wattle Dale run, he also secured another four to finish with a team of five at an average of $3420.
Three other buyers not afraid to bid up strongly on their selections in the Wattle Dale run were regular buyers
L & C O'Shannessy, Esperance, which averaged $2417 across a team of six that topped at $4200, while Bott Livestock, Esperance, secured five rams to a top of $3000 and an average of $2240 and JC & TB Sullivan, Gibson, went to $4400 and averaged $3400 over a team of three.
After being the volume buyer of Wattle Dale rams last year, JA Russell Australia Pty Ltd, Esperance, was back again this year chasing numbers.
This year the enterprise purchased 24 rams at an average of $838 and to a top of $1600 to again be the volume buyer in the run.
JA Russell farm manager Mitch Greaves said this was the second year the operation had purchased from Wattle Dale as it had changed from running Prime SAMMs to Merinos.
"The operation used to run Prime SAMM ewes, but they have all been sold and we have purchased in good lines of Merino ewes over the past 12 months," Mr Greaves said.
"Last year we joined 4200 Merino ewes and got a 103pc lambing from ewes scanned and this year we are aiming to join 5000 Merino ewes, all to Merino rams.
"The operation made the change to Merinos as it wanted to improve the wool quality and wool cut in the enterprise."
Other strong supporters of the Wattle Dale team buying numbers were repeat buyer Simon Stead, Hargate Park, Esperance, who purchased 10 rams at a $1430 average and buyers of nine years Wayne and Robyn White, WR White & Son, Dinninup, who averaged $1389 across a team of nine, while long-time buyer Trevor Schutz, Banksia Park, Esperance and Glen and Patrick Quinlivan, GJ & JS Quinlivan, Gibson, both purchased eight rams at a $1275 average.
The Welke family's Westwood stud, Cascade, recorded the best average in the run when it finished with a figure of $2633 over its team of 60 Poll Merino rams offered and sold through Nutrien Livestock.
In comparison, last year Westwood offered and sold 46 rams at an average of $2509, which meant this year it sold an extra 14 rams and its average was up $124.
The Westwood team topped at $4200 early in the run when an upstanding, long-bodied, double polled sire in lot nine sold to return buyers of 12 years Leigh and Karina West, Karleigh Farms, Gibson.
Mr West said when he first saw the ram at the stud's field day he thought it was a standout.
"He has good all round balance, along with a good set of figures and a good constitution," Mr West said.
The 105kg ram, which is a son of Leachim 182295, had wool figures of 16.9 micron and 2.6 SD and ASBVs of -1.32 YFD, 6.02 YWT, 0.62 YFAT, 1.95 YEMD, 21.24 YCFW as well as indexes of 164.24 for MP+ and 178.47 DP+.
These ASBVs rank it in the top 20pc for YEMD and the DP+ index.
Along with this ram, the Wests purchased another ram from Westwood at $3400 which was in the top 5pc for both the DP+ and MP+ indexes.
Mr West said they like the Westwood genetics because of the wool quality and also the lamb growth rates they are achieving.
"We are able turn off our Merino lambs in a similar time frame to a prime lamb," Mr West said.
"The Westwood sheep are a dual-purpose animal."
This year the Wests, who will join 2000 ewes to Merino rams, achieved a 103pc lambing (ewes mated) and on their eight-month shearing rotation, their grown sheep are cutting between 4.8 and 5.2kg of 18.5 to 19.5 micron wool.
The second top price in the Westwood offering was $4000 and it was paid by return buyer Peter Piercey, D Piercey & Co, Salmon Gums, for a well-covered, long-stapled, white woolled sire.
The 111kg ram ranks in the top 10pc for YWT and measures 17.9 micron and 2.6 SD in the wool.
Along with this ram, Mr Piercey purchased another three sires from Westwood to finish with a team of four at an average of $3325.
Fourth year buyer Epasco Farms, Condingup, was the volume buyer in the Westwood offering, securing a team of nine rams to a top of $3300 and an average of $2722.
Epasco Farms' farm manager Nick Ruddenklau said the Westwood sheep were easy-care, plain bodied sheep.
"They have good wool cuts and solid growth rates," Mr Ruddenklau said.
This year Epasco Farms is looking to join 15,500 ewes to Merinos and another 1500 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams.
Just one ram shy of the Epasco Farms' tally were return buyers Mark and Olivia Walter, TKO Farming, Cascade, who finished with a team of eight an average of $2650.
The Walters paid a high of $3700 for a 96kg double-polled sire which ranks in the top 5pc for YCFW.
Other strong supporters of the Westwood rams were Bott Livestock, which averaged $3025 across a team of four, while PJ & EE Wilkinson, Challara stud, Badgingarra, secured five at an average of $2740 and Laurina Farms, purchased four at a $2875 average.
The Pengilly family, Penrose stud, Cascade, offered 40 Poll Merino sires through Nutrien Livestock and sold 33 under the hammer to a top of $2500 and an average of $1518, which was back $122.
Last year the stud cleared 25 rams from 30 offered at an average of $1640 and to a top of $3900.
Taking top-price honours at $2500 in the Penrose team was the stud's sixth ram offered, when it was knocked down to return buyer of three years Peter Piercey, who also purchased the stud's top-priced ram at the past two sales.
The 100kg double polled ram, which measured 20.7 micron and 3.0 SD in the wool, ranks in the top 5pc for YWT.
Mr Piercey said he was looking for rams which were well-structured, with a good bold wool and this ram ticked those boxes.
"I don't like rams with open backs as they don't suit our environment as we want to keep the dust out and this ram was good on that front as well," Mr Piercey said.
Along with purchasing the top-priced Penrose ram, he purchased another two from the offering to finish with a team of three at an average of $2267.
Mr Piercey said this year they were looking to join 3400 to 3500 ewes to Merinos for a March lambing.
The Piercey's flock averages 18 micron and they aim to sell their wether lambs to WAMMCO at 20 to 22kg dressed at about six to seven months old.
The next best price in the Penrose team was $2300 paid by clients of eight years, the Ietto family, Allannaluke Farms, Grass Patch.
READ MORE:
They paid this value for a 19.5 micron, 101kg doubled polled sire.
In addition to this ram, the Iettos purchased another five Penrose rams to finish with six at an average of $1917, making them the equal volume buyer in the run.
Also in the Ietto purchases at $2100 was a 106.5kg, 20.1 micron ram, with proceeds being donated to the Esperance Royal Flying Doctor Service which was recently broken into.
Paul Ietto said this year the family was looking to join 2000 ewes to Merino rams.
"This year our ewe flock achieved a 103pc lambing unscanned and they cut 5.5kg of 19.2 micron wool on an eight-month shearing," Mr Ietto said.
Matching the Ietto family in the numbers game and also buying six Penrose sires was World Base Securities, Esperance.
It paid to a high of $1700 and averaged $1033 across its team.
Other good supporters of the Penrose offering were return buyers Mark and Olivia Walter, TKO Farming, which averaged $1667 across three sires, while first-time buyers, K & M Norman, Ravensthorpe, purchased three rams at a $1600 average and a buyer operating on AuctionsPlus collected five at an $1120 average.
The Gibson family's Nairnup stud, Munglinup, rounded out the Merino studs section, putting forward a team of 12 Merino and Poll Merino rams under the Elders hammer, selling eight to a top of $1400 and at an average of $1025, which was up $225 on last year.
Last year in the sale the stud offered 12 rams and sold six all at $800.
Taking home the $1400 top-priced Nairnup ram, which weighed 104kg, was LG Norwood, Gibson.
The Merino ram had wool figures of 21.0 micron and 3.5 SD to go with index values of 158.44 for MP+ and 157.58 for DP+.
Along with this ram, the Norwoods purchased a 89.5kg, 23.5 micron Poll Merino at $1200 and a 94kg, 21.1 micron Poll Merino at $1000.
Also securing three rams from the Nairnup offering to a top of $1000 twice and an average of $933 was Elders Hopetoun, representative Nick Benson, who was bidding on behalf of FC Delacy & Co, Nungarin.
Dohne
The Lowe family's C-View stud, Esperance, again presented a team of Dohne rams.
This year they offered 12 and sold eight under the hammer to a top of $950 and an average of $675, which was back $285 on last year.
The stud's $950 ram was purchased by I & C McCallum, Esperance.
The 86.5kg twin-born ram had wool figures of 18.7 micron and 99.4pc comfort factor to go with scans of 38.5mm for eye muscle depth (EMD) and 3.9mm fat.
The McCallums purchased a second C-View ram at $850 which weighed 88.5kg and had wool figures of 18.8 micron and 99.9pc comfort factor, as well as scans of 39mm EMD and 4.1mm fat.
The other buyers of the C-View rams were NE & MM Wiech & Son, Esperance and B & K Bailye, Salmon Gums, both purchasing three rams each at $600.
White Suffolk
This year four White Suffolk studs offered 97 rams between them and by the end of the breed's run, 92 had been sold under the hammer for an average of $1020, which was back $293 on last year when 71 rams sold from 76 offered at an average of $1313.
Leading the way in the White Suffolk run and selling the day's $2600 top-priced White Suffolk sire was the MacDonald family's Macsfield stud, Condingup/Beaumont.
Second-year buyer Simon Fowler and family, Chilwell, Condingup, secured the top-priced ram when going to $2600 on a long-bodied, well-muscled sire.
The 116kg ram had scans of 32mm EMD and 2.4mm fat.
Mr Fowler believed the top-priced ram was the standout sire in the team and showed good shape and size.
"We like the style of rams the Macsfield stud breeds, they are all good, big bodied rams which fit well into our prime lamb system," Mr Fowler said.
Along with securing the top-priced ram, the Fowlers purchased another four rams from Macsfield to finish with a team of five at an average of $1600.
Mr Fowler said this year the operation was looking to join 8000 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams with the aim of turning the lambs off as suckers.
"This year so far we have turned off 1800 out of our 6000 April-drop White Suffolk sired lambs and we get rid of another 2500 in the next couple of weeks," Mr Fowler said.
"Our first draft went last week, which is three weeks behind normal.
"We had them all drafted and they were the right weights but we couldn't get them into the abattoirs.
"What we have sold so far this year have averaged 23kg dressed."
Also bidding strongly on the Macsfield run was Sandplain Farming, Esperance, which purchased three at an average of $900, while Epasco Farms, averaged $1150 over two rams and I & C McCallum and DJ & M & MDJ Milne, Condingup, both purchased two each at an $1100 average.
All up the Macsfield stud offered and sold 20 White Suffolk sires at an average of $1145, which was back $242 on last year.
The Welke family, Cascade stud, Cascade, was the largest vendor of White Suffolk rams, offering 62 rams, which was 22 more than last year.
By the end of the stud's offering, all 62 rams were heading to new homes to a top of $1700 and an average of $1035, which was back $395.
In comparison in 2021, the stud offered and sold 40 rams for a $1430 average.
Picking up Cascade's $1700 top-priced ram was I & C McCallum, which also purchased another Cascade ram at $1100.
The top-priced ram weighed 109kg and had ASBVs of 0.27 birthweight (BWT), 12.96 weaning weight (WWT), 20.87 post weaning weight (PWWT), 2.72 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD), -0.06 post weaning fat (PFAT) and indexes of 163.49 for the TCP index and 156.11 for the LEQ index.
These ASBVs rank it in the top 1pc for WWT and PWWT as well as the TCP index.
The volume buyer in the run was first-time buyer Epasco Farms which secured 15 to a top of $1300 three times and an average of $1100.
Epasco Farms' farm manager Nick Ruddenklau said the operation was planning to join a line of ewes to White Suffolk rams for the first time this year.
"We join them to our ewes which are surplus to our Merino joining requirements, as we want to keep our ewe numbers up," Mr Ruddenklau said.
"We have chosen to go with White Suffolk rams as we believe they are the best breed for the terminal job in terms of their eating quality and growth traits."
Also buying a double figure ute load was Preston Downs Farming, Esperance, which took home a dozen to a top of $1200 and average of $925.
Other strong supporters of the Cascade run were
DH & RM Bruhn, Esperance, averaging $1160 across a team of five and Neville Welke & Son, Esperance, securing four at a $1200 average.
The Hann family, Greendale stud, Esperance, offered and sold six rams to a top of $800 and an average of $718, which was back $332 on last year.
The stud's $800 ram was purchased by DA & SM Styles, Esperance.
The volume buyer in the run was Nutrien Livestock, Esperance agent Barry Hutcheson, who purchased three rams, all at $700, for NW & HJ Shepherd.
The Starcevich family's Brimlo stud, Salmon Gums, offered nine White Suffolk sires and sold four under the hammer, all at $600.
All four rams were purchased by Glen and Patrick Quinlivan, GJ & JS Quinlivan, who were buying from the stud for the first time.
Glen Quinlivan said they decided to purchase White Suffolk rams this year to join to some of their older Merino ewes.
Suffolk
There were two studs to offer rams in the Suffolk run and when the numbers were calculated, eight of the 12 Suffolk rams offered had been sold at an average of $675 and to a top of $900.
The Brimlo stud sold the $900 top-priced Suffolk ram and it was purchased by DJ & M & MDJ Milne, which also purchased another Brimlo sire at $600.
The $900 ram weighed 80kg and has ASBVs of 0.32 BWT, 7.15 WWT, 10.34 PWWT, 1.4 PEMD, -0.59 PFAT and indexes of 127.21 TCP and 117.45 LEQ.
Andrew Middleton, Oak Marsh Farm, Esperance, purchased two Brimlo Suffolks, both at $600.
All up Brimlo offered eight Suffolks and sold four under the hammer at an average of $675.
The Esperance Farm Training Centre's Escholar stud offered and sold four Suffolks, three at $500 and one at $400.
All four rams were purchased by return buyer Andrew Middleton.
He said the Escholar rams had a good temperament and produced a nice lamb.
"This year we will join 1000 Merino ewes to Suffolk rams," Mr Middleton said.
"We lamb down in May/June and sell our first draft of Suffolk cross lambs around Christmas and the rest in February/March."
