THE number of utes and trailers parked around the Rangeview shed pre-empted another strong ram sale where stud and commercial sheep breeders pushed prices to a $4800 high at Darkan.
In the final tally the King family recorded a $1703 overall average, a drop of $121 compared with the $1824 achieved last year, however the sale was dotted with many more high prices as wool producers came seeking the full package of low micron, wool cut and size in the 100-ram line up.
Stud principal Jeremy King was happy to accept the lower average, saying last year's $632 jump in values had been huge but this year the sale met the market to give buyers at every price level the opportunity to take something home.
A Friday afternoon and good dose of sunshine after a cool spring added to the atmosphere as Elders auctioneer Nathan King went to work.
"There are a lot of quality wools in the line-up and you will get sick of hearing me say that but that is what it is and I guess that's what you all are here for," Mr King said as he kicked off the sale.
Last year's sale peaked at $3600 but this year that benchmark was reached five times during the auction.
By lot 11 the $4800 sale top had been set by Daniel Zadow, trading as WR & PC Zadow, Kojonup.
The Poll ram had raw fleece data of 18.2 micron, 2.8 SD and a 99.7 per cent comfort factor (CF) and along with a second ram bought for $3200, will be used in a 250-ewe nucleus that provides rams for the Zadow family's main 5000-Merino ewe breeding flock.
Mr Zadow said they had been buying from Rangeview for more than 15 years and kept returning for the wool type.
"I am looking for the good Rangeview wool on as big a body as I can find," Mr Zadow said.
The price was particularly pleasing for Mr King who said he had been tossing up whether to include the ram in the 2023 show team but made the last-minute decision to offer it in the sale.
Also bidding on the top price ram was the Zadows' neighbour Raymond Noonan, trading as Jameric Grazing, who wanted a sire with the similar wool and size credentials.
He went on to pay $3700 for a Poll ram he also planned to use in a nucleus that supplies sires for their main 3000-ewe Merino flock.
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Mr Noonan settled on a ram showing exceptional figures of 17.8 microns, 2.9 SD and 99.8pc CF that was his only purchase.
While there were several stud breeders in action, it was a buying order from big commercial producer Kieran Power, McAlinden, that set the $4100 second top price.
He was busy with shearing and left Elders Darkan representative Wayne Peake to fill the order for seven rams.
It was less than usual giving him the opportunity to buy better quality rams.
He paid a $2343 average for his selections and Mr Peake said he was having particularly good success with the bloodline in his high rainfall environment.
The 5000-head ewe flock has been classed for the past five years by Nathan King and while the wool handled the rainfall well, the wether lambs also were growing out well, enabling him to value-add through the feedlot.
Return buyer and renowned wool producer BR & BJ Smith, Wannamal, paid a $3600 high and bought seven rams for a $1943 average to be among the highest price buyers.
The final buyer to exceed last year's top price was NSW sheepman Bill Brewis, Dalgety, near Cooma, who had seen the Rangeview sheep on Facebook and bought a single ram for $3600.
His purchase was also the top price Merino.
First-time buyer Hayden and Shelby Harries, Boyup Brook, registered a Poll stud in January, in addition to their existing Olboa Merino stud, and bought a $3100 ram with a 100pc CF.
The sale opened with five ex-show team four-tooth rams and the giant Merino in pen one sold for $1600 and got the sale underway when Doug Corker bought on behalf of son Jamann who runs Silverdale stud at Mayanup.
Mr Corker said they bought their first Rangeview ram in 2018 and had good results and returned to get the size, wool cut and good bodies for which they were renowned.
Jeff Pike, Jerramungup, came to Rangeview 20 years ago as an Amuri Creek client when the King family bought the stud and he stayed.
Last week he paid $3100, $3000, $2800 and bought five rams for a $2680 average to be one of the most prominent buyers.
Phil and Ashley Cooper, Clayton Park Polls, Eneabba, were successful on lot three with a $2800 bid to get a sire that showed some skin development and a good set of wool figures showing 18.9 microns, with a 3.1 SD and a 99.6pc CF.
Ashley Cooper said they didn't mind a bit of skin, saying it contributed to better wool cut and the lambs had generally grown out of it (wrinkle) by the time they were hoggets.
They bought two other rams for $2300 and $2200 placing their priorities on "fine white well-crimped wool on a decent body".
They had been breeding their own rams for 30 years and own a registered stud that has been on Rangeview bloodlines for the past six to seven years.
Undoubtebly the biggest buyer was neighbour and part-time farmer Russell Arthur King who bought 12 rams and paid up to $2400.
Mr King said he was now fully committed to sheep and was managing his pastures with the same inputs as for cropping but considered sheep as an easier alternative.
The sale had 28 on the buying register and all but one was successful.
Some of the bigger buyers were Schinzig Brothers, Kojonup, whose astute buying over the years earned them a top price mention in last week's Farm Weekly for two lines of wool, one of which measured 15.4 microns and sold for 2436 cents/kilogram clean.
They bought seven rams for up to $2200.
Mark Roberts and Amanda Batt, Westover Grazing, Boddington, did not wait for the sale to start but instead bought one of the reserve rams on display for $5000 to put the icing on the King's cake.
