DEMAND was strong for an impressively even line of White Suffolks at Hedingham's fourth annual on-property ram sale last week.
The Wickepin-based stud achieved a total clearance, selling all 100 2021-drop rams under the hammer and sold a further 24 rams immediately after it as private selections.
Prices were steady throughout the sale, with many buyers taking up the option to purchase both rams presented in the ring at a time, under the two-ram selling system for lots 13-100, which resulted in an average of $1561 per head, $314 more than last year.
A big 110 kilogram August-born twin ram in lot 12, the last of the individually-offered rams, topped the sale at $2300, eclipsing the stud's peak in 2021 by $500.
Elders Narrogin agent Paul Keppel was the winning bidder, snapping up the EM 180170-sired ram with Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 0.52 birthweight (BWT), 16.1 post weaning weight (PWWT), 0.0 post weaning fat (PFAT), 1.9 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) and 140.3 TCP index on behalf of LR & S Sims, Narrogin.
Mr Keppel had a total of six rams knocked down by Elders auctioneer Steele Hathway for regular buyer Lindsay Sims at an average of $1817, and said he selected them based on their fertility, with all of them twins, along with a good index, eye muscle and post-weaning weight.
The rams also had to be structurally correct, and would be used over Merino ewes for the Sims' family's 100 per cent prime lamb operation.
Another twin ram from the same sire secured the second-top price for the stud of $2100, and was one of two rams bought by Cowcher Farming, Wickepin.
The 122.5kg May-born ram in lot three had ASBVs including 0.5 BWT, 18.2 PWWT, 0.6 PFAT, 2.6 PEMD and 142.91 TCP index.
While there was plenty of support from regular buyers, it was a first-time attendee who was volume buyer of the day.
Greg Ferguson, trading as Elladale Farms, Westdale, bought 18 rams at an average of $1467 and to a top of $1900.
Mr Ferguson said he was in the process of transitioning to a Dohne-White Suffolk cross production, and he was looking for a consistent line of rams to use in that.
He planned to buy another two rams straight after the sale to take his total haul for the afternoon to 20 rams.
Another volume buyer was PL & JA Russell, Wickepin, who bought 11 rams at an average of $1756 and twice to a top of $1650.
Murray James from Jesmond Farmers, Karlgarin, bought 10 rams at an average of $1560, including to a top of $1700 twice.
The first of those rams was a 110kg ram in pen 11 with ASBVs including 0.67 BWT, 18.4 PWWT, -0.3 PFAT, 0.3 PEMD and 133.49 TCP index, while the other in pen 37 was a 101.5kg ram with figures including 0.6 BWT, 17.3 PWWT, -0.8 PFAT, 1.1 PEMD and 142.69 TCP index.
Mr James, who has bought rams at the stud since stud principal Warren Thompson started selling on-property, said it was the most even line he had ever seen offered there.
Those he successfully bid on, selected on their figures as well as their visual traits, would be mated to about 1400 head of cull and older Merino ewes for prime lambs.
W & G Wilson, Narrogin, bought nine rams at an average of $1689 and to a top of $1800 four times, while AW Lyneham & Son, Popanyinning, also bought nine rams at an average of $1528 and to a top of $1700 three times.
D & D Warburton, Wandering, bought six rams at an average of $1583, including to a top of $1700 twice, while Kov & Co, Pingelly, bought five rams at an average of $1680 and twice to a top of $1800.
Four buyers snapped up four rams each - Clinton Hemley, Wickepin, at an average of $1675 and to a top of $1800 twice, Cootarring Grazing Co, Narrogin, at an average of $1625 and to a top of $1800, while also paying $1400 for the final pen of the day, RA & JM Eckersley, Narrogin, at an average of $1475 and to a top of $1900 and Knowsley Grazing Co, Katanning, at an average of $1775 and to a top of $1900.
The remaining rams were bought by Bennier Trading Trust, Wickepin, Illabunda Farming, Wickepin, AT & D Morgan, Lake Grace and AM & MJ Williams, Kukerin, who all bought two rams each.
