THE Tellarup Brook Poll Dorset stud held another successful on-property ram sale at Manjimup, with prices peaking at $2200 and competition from repeat buyers setting a solid $1296 average.
The line-up received glowing praise from Elders auctioneer Preston Clarke who congratulated stud principals Kim and Donnette Edwards on their presentation and said as each year passed, you could see an improvement in quality and structure.
"The genetics they have invested in are certainly doing their job and the sheep are equal to any in WA," Mr Clarke said.
Then he got to work on selling the stud's third on-property auction which again increased numbers from 53 to 58 lots.
The top price was paid by Richard and Lee Shuard, trading as Deeside Muirs, Manjimup, who bought a single ram to use in a 60-ewe nucleus flock from which they produce their own rams to turn off about 800 prime lambs.
The ram was a follow-up to one they bought at the inaugural Tellarup Brook sale and apart from being a tall and long sheep, it had the highest terminal carcase production (TCP) index in the catalogue at 147.97, placing it in the top 20 per cent for the breed.
The ram by Victorian sire Derrynock 19045 was twin-born and also had other good traits with Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 3.24 post eye muscle depth and a 4.53 lean meat yield both in the top 10pc for the breed.
Other ASBVs were 0.43 birthweight, 9.4 weaning weight, 14.65 post weaning weight, -0.51 post weaning fat and -0.72 intra muscular fat.
Many of the early rams in the offering had highlighted ASBV traits denoting them as being among the top 5pc, 10pc or 20pc of the breed, a sure sign of the stud's success in developing strong linkages with other Poll Dorset studs.
After the sale Mr Edwards said he was very happy to keep investing in new genetics and was continually seeking out sires for constant improvement to the flock to produce high performing rams with length, good eye muscle and increased early growth rates.
Mr Clarke said it was evident the higher price buyers were selecting rams both on their figures and by looking at them and most times they were the same sheep.
Three powerful bidding forces clashed on the same rams in the early stages of the sale and almost invariably it was a tussle between Len and Elaine Brookes, Yornup, Pardee Grazing, Kendenup, and Elders Manimup representative Cameron Harris who held a bidding order from perennial sale supporter DM & JM Hallett, Boyup Brook.
Last year the sale posted one price of more than $2000.
This year eight rams hit the benchmark and mostly it was the Bunker family Peter, Pauline, daughter-in-law Narelle and son Kelvin, Pardee Grazing, who was successful.
They came to the sale last year just for a look and took home seven of the more expensive rams and after seeing how good the resulting lambs turned out they returned for another eight.
They paid up to $2100 (3) and $2000 to average $1850.
The Halletts' order netted them 11 rams for up to $2000 (3) and with the depth of quality but not the buying force extending to the final pens, they averaged back to a $1373 average.
The Hallett family has often bought considerably more rams in the past but, like several other buyers, it was year when they did not need as many.
The gap was filled by Len and Elaine Brookes, Yornup, who did a stock take in their paddock and decided it was time for almost a full replacement.
They were the day's biggest volume buyer taking home 12 for up to $1600 and a $1117 average.
MORE RAM SALE STORIES:
Mr Brookes said they bought four rams in 2021 but it was just a year when they needed more than usual.
"We bought what we wanted then got a couple more than we planned because there were some very good rams going at $700-$800 and that evens out the prices," Mr Brookes said.
The couple are mainly beef producers but have found sheep fit well into the system for cleaning up pastures after cattle have grazed through them.
"We look for low birthweight and buy on that (figure) and have used these rams over maiden ewes without any problems at all."
Of the 58 rams offered 52 sold under the hammer, one less than last year when all 53 rams cleared, and the $1294 average was closely aligned to last year's $1349 average.
Other noteworthy buyers were Waterfield Farms, Manjimup, which bid to $1900 for the best of five; Westbourne Holdings, Bridgetown, bought six for up to $1200 (2) and RF & E Eatts, Manjimup, bought two for a $1700 high.
