AS Australia commemorated the Queen's passing with a public holiday recently, it didn't deter buyers from turning out in force at the Woolkabin on-property ram sale at Woodanilling, where they pushed prices to a high of $7000 for a Poll Merino ram.
The quality offering of well-grown Merino and Poll Merino rams, with good wool cutting ability that were presented by the Patterson family, were well received by return buyers and a handful of new ones as they chased both the fresh genetics alongside proven bloodlines offered by the stud.
Right from the opening run the 36 registered buyers, from as far north as Moonyoonooka, south to Green Range and east to Southern Cross, were solid in their bidding, ensuring a successful sale result for the Patterson family.
When the final ram was knocked down by Elders auctioneer Nathan King, the stud had offered and sold 151 rams under the hammer to 30 different buyers for an average of $1824, which was up $139 on last year.
In comparison, last year the stud offered 176 rams and sold 172 under the hammer to 26 different buyers for an average of $1824.
In the breakdown, the stud offered and sold 123 Poll Merinos at an average of $1897 (up $174 on last year), while in the Merino side of the catalogue, 28 rams were offered and sold at an average of $1504 (down $12 on 2021).
Elders stud stock representative and Woolkabin classer Kevin Broad said it was a very solid sale and the final result was stronger than presale expectations.
"I think everyone is happy with the final result to be up more than $100 on last year and achieve a 100 per cent clearance," Mr Broad said.
"It was good to see a large crowd at the sale, appreciating the work the Patterson family has been putting into their breeding program.
"A highlight was the 33 sons of Wallaloo Park 190226, which is a recent new bloodline to the stud and these rams were well sought after by buyers.
"Overall the rams presented very well and it was a very even line-up throughout in terms of quality and there were more stylish woolled types in the line-up which is something the stud is aiming for."
The event started with a run of 32 March shorn, shed-prepared rams and it was in these early pens that the day's $7000 top-priced ram was located.
When Mr King stood over an upstanding Poll Merino ram in lot seven, buyers quickly took notice and a bidding war broke out.
In the end, Mr Broad had the last bid at $7000 and then announced the ram was headed to the Lavender family, Lavender Farming Co, Williams.
Mr Broad said the Lavender family purchased the ram for its lovely, stylish wool and its bloodline.
"He is a well-made ram with good size and a quality wool suitable for the Quindanning area," Mr Broad said.
The double Polled 115 kilogram ram is by Wallaloo Park 190226 and had wool figures of 18.8 micron, 3.0 SD, 16.0 CV and 99.9pc comfort factor (CF), along with scans of 4.1mm fat and 38.5mm eye muscle depth (EMD).
When it came to its MerinoSelect Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs), it ranked in the top 1pc for yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW) at 38.58 and the MP+ index at 199.2, as well as top 5pc for the DP+ index at 195.2.
Its other ASBVs included 7.87 for yearling weight (YWT), -1.2 yearling fat (YFAT), -0.61 yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD) and -0.61 yearling fibre diameter (YFD).
The Lavenders also purchased a second Wallaloo Park 190226 Polled son at $2750.
Rowan Lavendar said both rams would be used over younger ewes in their nucleus flock.
"We were chasing the Wallaloo Park 190226 sons so we could introduce a new bloodline to the flock," Mr Lavender said.
The Lavenders have a nucleus flock of 700 ewes to breed rams for their own use in their main flock of 4500 Merino ewes which are joined to Merino sires.
The second top price was $5750 paid by long-term buyers the Walker family, JM & ME Walker, Green Range, for a soft, white-woolled Polled ram by Wallaloo Park 190226.
The 120kg ram ranks in the top 5pc for the MP+ and DP+ indexes, top 10pc for YCFW and top 20pc for YWT, while it had wool figures of 15.8 micron, 2.9 SD, 18.4 CV and 100pc CF, along with scans of 4.3mm fat and 43mm EMD.
Jeremy Walker said the ram was a very balanced sheep in terms of its figures.
"It had a low micron, a good fleece weight and good fats," Mr Walker said.
"He also has a good white wool which we need for our environment.
"It is pretty rare to get a ram with a good constitution, low micron and a high fleece weight but this ram does.
"We will use him in our nucleus flock of 130 ewes to breed rams for our own use."
The Walkers also purchased another three Poll sires to finish with a team of four at an average of $3113.
Mr Walker said they have continued to return and buy from Woolkabin for many years as they had plain bodied sheep with good breathable white wools and a high wool cut.
The Walkers are this year looking to join 4000 ewes to Merino sires and 2500 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams and will be hoping for another good lambing result.
This year they achieved 102pc lambing percentage for ewes scanned which included maidens.
Mr Walker said their mature flock averaged 20 micron and a 5.5-6kg wool cut, but they were hoping to reduce micron slightly but maintain fleece weight.
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When it comes to their wethers, the Walkers aim to sell them as a grassfed wether lambs from February through to the winter, off irrigated pastures.
The third top price and top price for a Merino sire was a $5000 bid by Mr Broad on behalf of a return Wheatbelt stud buyer.
Mr Broad bid this value for a March shorn ram by Woolkabin 192813, which was catalogued in lot 29.
The crimpy, white-woolled 110kg ram had wool figures of 17.0 micron, 2.6 SD, 15.3 CV and 100pc CF, along with scans of 4.6mm fat and 34.5mm EMD.
For ASBVs, it ranked in the top 10pc for YCFW and top 20pc for the MP+ index.
Mr Broad said he picked the ram out for his client as it was very well-made with an outstanding wool.
"I think it had the best wool in the shed," Mr Broad said.
Also heading to the Wheatbelt stud was another Woolkabin 192813 son when Mr Broad secured it at $3000.
Other buyers to purchase Poll Merino rams at $4000 or more were J Young & Co, Poondarra stud, Kondinin, which went to $4750 for a Manunda 171310 son, while DJ & KM Smith, Katanning, paid $4000 for a ram from a syndicate mating.
Both rams ranked in the top 20pc for DP+ and MP+ indexes.
Buyers of more than 25 years Darren and Bruce Howatson, Howatson Family Trust, Newdegate, had a major influence on the sale, securing eight Polls to a top of $4000 twice and an average of $3306.
They paid $4000 for two Wallaloo Park 190226 sons that ranked in the top 1-10pc for the DP+ and MP+ indexes.
Darren Howatson said they were interested in the Wallaloo Park 190226 bloodline as the rams were good animals with bold crimping, stylish wools.
"I was chasing heavy cutting types with stylish wools," Mr Howatson said.
The Howatsons recorded a 107pc lambing from ewes scanned this season and will be hoping for similar results next year for the 2200 ewes they join to Merinos when they lamb down in April/May.
"We had a good lambing this year and the lambs are looking great after a good season," Mr Howatson said.
"We aim to sell our wether lambs as suckers and want them all gone by harvest.
"Our lambs are ready to sell now but we are just waiting for a spot to open up.
"They will be nearing 45 to 50kg liveweight when we hope to sell them at the beginning of October."
Other buyers to purchase strongly and buy sizeable Poll teams were Westmere Farming, Williams, which averaged $2263 over a team of eight that topped at $2600 and Wollan Pty Ltd, Moonyoonooka, that purchased seven to a top of $3000 and an average of $2043.
On the Merino side, Hunt Partners, Coorow, secured five rams to a top of $2000 twice and an average of $1620.
The day's biggest buyer was Elders, Gnowangerup representative James Culleton, who purchased a team of 11 Polls at an average of $1227 for Wyarran Farms, Gnowangerup.
Just behind in numbers were two buyers who purchased 10 rams each.
Kolonga Farms, Bulyee, went home with five Merinos and five Polls at a $1360 average, while three Merinos and seven Polls were knocked down to Kurt Fuchsbichler, Koorda, at a $970 average.
