Billandri Poll Merino sells to $3000 top at iannual on-property ram sale at Kendenup

The cold, windy, wet weather wasn't enough to deter buyers from gathering at the property to secure the Billandri sire genetics, resulting in a 100 per cent clearance for the Sandilands family for yet another successive year.

The usual 200 Poll Merino rams were on display and definitely in demand from pen one all the way through to pen 200, showing off impressive bright white wools with good body types.

The catalogue of rams was made up of 200 2021-drop rams, shorn between June 6-9 and the team had some impressive figures.

The team had average wool figures of 5.5 kilograms greasy fleece weight (GFW), 3.9kg clean fleece weight (CFW), 17.6 micron and 99.8 per cent comfort factor (CF) to go with an eye muscle depth scan average of 30.4mm.

When it came to the MerinoSelect indexes, the team averaged 162.4 for the MP+ index and 163.7 for the DP+ index.

A total of 25 registered buyers travelled from both the local area, as far north as Geraldton and in between to take in the Sandilands' hospitality and pushed the sale's average to $1313, which was up $106 on last year.

Nutrien Livestock auctioneer and Mt Barker agent Jarrad Hubbard was very pleased with the result of the sale and the ram quality.

"There were some great rams on offer today," Mr Hubbard said.

"The consistency in the rams was present from start to finish, which resulted in an improved average.

"It was great to see buyer support throughout the sale."

Mr Hubbard also said there was great support from loyal return buyers.

"The Billandri pure Polls have quality wools and a great type suited to the Kendenup area," he said.

"Their bright, white wools are well nourished and of great staple length."

Prices peaked fairly early in the sale with the ram in pen 30 selling for the sale's top of $3000 and it headed home with WA College of Agriculture, Morawa, technical officer David Mills.

The early August-drop ram was Mr Mills' only purchase for the day and had Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 29.6 yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW), -2.6 yearling fibre diameter (YFD), -0.3 yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD), -0.6 yearling fat (YFAT) and an index of 196 MP+.

Mr Mills purchased the ram on behalf of the college to use over the college's flock of Billandri ewes.

"It's my first time buying from Billandri on behalf of the college," Mr Mills said.

"We purchased a flock of 70 pure Billandri mated ewes from the stud earlier this year."

Mr Mills said they were running two flocks at the college, currently.

"We have two flocks, a measurement flock and one based around traditional classing," he said.

"It's all a part of educating our students at the college."

The second top price paid was $1900, paid early in the catalogue, four times by four separate buyers.

Firstly by RA & JA Quartermaine, Geraldton, which paid the value for a ram in pen four which had ASBVs 21.5 YCFW, -2.8 YFD, 0.5 YEMD, -0.1 YFAT and an index of 177 MP+.

Boxwood Hill producers R & R Murdoch, were next to hit $1900 when they were the final bidders on a ram in pen seven with ASBVs of 27.6 YCFW, -1.6 YFD, 0.1 YEMD, 0.3 YFAT and an index of 178 MP+.

Next up to bid to $1900 was local buyers Cary Downs Grazing, Kendenup, when it secured the ram in pen nine that had ASBVs of 24 YCFW, -1.1 YFD, 2.0 YEMD, -0.8 YFAT and an index of 173 MP+.

This ram wasn't the only purchase for Cary Downs Grazing on the day, it also purchased another 13 rams to finish with 14 at an average of $1321.

The final ram to make $1900 was penned in lot 13 and it was purchased through Elders for a Wongan Hills client.

This ram had ASBVs of 52.2 YCFW, 0.1 YFD, -0.4 YEMD, -0.2 YFAT and a 198 index MP+.

Putting together a strong team of 21 rams were volume buyers Gordon River Grazing, Cranbrook.

The Cranbrook buyers are return buyers of the stud, who also bought a team of 21 rams last year, this year paying a top of $1500 and an average of $1152.

Their $1500 gem had ASBVs of 15 YCFW, -1.8Y FD, 1.5 YEMD, 0.6 YFAT and an index of 172 MP+.

Following closely behind were Kojonup buyers JJ & JA Sexton, which paid an average of $1300 for 20 rams.

Their top-price ram at $1600 had ASBVs of 29 YCFW, -2.1 YFD, -0.1 YEMD, -0.2 YFAT and an index of 179 MP+.

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Another large buyer of the Billandri sires was Greenhill Estate, Katanning, which loaded up its trailer with 13 rams at an average of $1323, paying to a top of $1500, four times.

Tincurrin buyer, Colin Murray & Co, was eager to buy rams and put together a team of 12 rams at an average of $1350, while Bignell Farms, Broomehill, took home 11 rams after the sale, averaging 1282.

Securing 10 rams each was Strathmore Grazing, Manjimup, averaging $1350, Indinup Pastoral Co, Katanning, averaging $1150, Birkby Estate, Katanning, averaging $1130 and Glenorchy Holdings, Beverley, averaging $1030.

Kojonup buyers GWF & TM Chomley, paid an average price $1533 for a team of nine rams to a top of $1800.

Eight rams were bought by return buyers from Cranbrook, Beeac Estate, at an average of $950 and paying to a top of $1000, six times.

A pleased vendor at the completion of the sale was Billandri stud co-principal Geoff Sandilands.

"It was a very pleasing sale," Mr Sandilands said.

"I think anytime an average goes up and we sell them all, we are happy.

"We've had three new buyers as well as our loyal return buyers that were present at the sale this year which is really positive to see."

Mr Sandilands said the family was very happy with their ASBVs this year and said it is a very important aspect to what they are trying to provide to the studs clients.

"The sale itself was very constant, we didn't so much have lots of highs but prices remained constant throughout," he said.

"We had quite an even line-up this year, probably the most even we've ever had, from front to back in terms of quality.

"It made it easier for clients to select visually."

The Sandilands family said they aimed to produce a more plain sheep going forward so that clients who were wanting to non-mules were able to achieve that.

"We have had a lot of feedback from clients saying that they have had very good lambing percentages from our rams," he said.

"I've had a client say that they achieved a 122pc lambing recently.

"We are hoping that our breeding, and more so the farmers good management are a big factor behind those percentages."