UltraWhite ewe lambs sell to $590 high at Nutrien Livestock's maternal ewe sale on AuctionsPlus

Thirty two bidders from Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria were active in the online sale which featured 5790 ewes that were offered in 30 lines.

Right through the hour and a half sale the competition was intense with 2201 bids being placed on 29 of the lines offered and this resulted in 27 lines selling to 13 different WA buyers and two lines going to a South Australian buyer.

By the conclusion of the sale the 29 lines sold, totalling 5524 ewes had sold for an average of $384 a head.

Broken down there were 4919 shedding types sold - comprising 2817 ewe lambs at an average of $394 and 2102 ewes for an average of $437.

There were also 605 F1 ewes (Mount Ronan Maternal, Border Leicester and Dohne) sold over three lines for an average of $155.

With the UltraWhite ewes and their crosses dominating the numbers in the sale it wasn't surprising it was a line of this background which sold at the $590 top price.

Recording the $590 top price was a line of 100 March/April 2022-drop UltraWhite ewe lambs from the Bradford family's, Hillcroft Farms UltraWhite stud, Popanyinning.

The ewes, which averaged 45.5 kilograms, were purchased by a South West buyer.

The Bradfords sold another line of 100 UltraWhite ewe lambs of the same age which weighed 39.7kg for $568, this time to a Great Southern buyer.

This Great Southern buyer also paid $466 for 116 UltraWhite ewe lambs averaging 41.3kg and $444 for 61 UltraWhite ewes weighing 53.5kg.

Both lines were sold by AC & JE Cunningham, East Pingelly and based on Hillcroft Farms bloodlines.

Also in the UltraWhite ewe lamb offering, Davina Enterprises, Konnongorring, sold 122 Hillcroft Farms blood, April/May 2022-drop UltraWhite ewe lambs weighing 45.3kg for $564 to a Wheatbelt buyer.

A major buyer in this section of the catalogue was another Great Southern prime lamb producer which purchased five lines of ewe lambs, along with three lines of ewe hoggets (14-16 months).

The purchases included two lines (225 head and 224 head) of Hillcroft Farms blood, May/June 2022-drop UltraWhite ewe lambs at $560 from the Blechynden family, EF & SL Blechynden, East Pingelly, as well as 223 Hillcroft Farms blood, April/May 2022-drop UltraWhite ewe lambs weighing 55.9kg from Davina Enterprises, Konnongorring, at $522.

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Also heading to the operation at $454 and $450 were two lines of May/June 2022-drop UltraWhite-Kojak cross ewes both comprising 250 head averaging 42.6kg from the sale's volume vendor, Knipe Farming Co, Spencers Brook.

This buyer also paid $580 for one of the lines of 1.5yo ewes it purchased.

It paid this value for 165 UltraWhite 14-16mo ewes averaging 58.6kg based on Hillcroft Farms bloodlines, from Hoggart Family Trust, Condingup.

It also purchased 165 14-16mo, Hillcroft Farms blood UltraWhite ewes averaging 57.8kg from the Hoggart Family Trust at $574 and 71 Hillcroft Farms blood, 15-16mo UltraWhite ewes averaging 67kg from AC & JE Cunningham.

The sale's $584 second top price and $582 third top price was achieved by two lines of 14-17mo UltraWhite ewes containing 192 head and 190 head respectively offered by the Blechynden family.

The two lines, weighing 63.2kg and 64.9kg and based on Hillcroft Farms bloodlines, were purchased by a buyer from Bordertown, South Australia, which was the only interstate buyer to secure sheep from the offering.

Along with selling UltraWhite-Kojak cross ewe lambs, Knipe Farming Co, also sold two lines of 15-16mo UltraWhite-Kojak cross ewes both consisting of 250 head and averaging 59.2kg at $502 to a Kukerin buyer.

Wickepin operation TKW Leeson sold two lines of 5.5yo UltraWhite cross ewes.

It sold 154 UltraWhite-White Dorper ewes based on Hillcroft Farms and Jilakin Downs bloodlines at $254 and 267 UltraWhite-Dorper ewes based on the same bloodlines at $250 to a Kojonup buyer.

There were four lines of 2022-drop White Dorper and Dorper ewe lambs sold and these topped at $200 for a line of 97 April/May-drop ewe lambs based on Ida Vale bloodlines from Banyanda Farms, Walkaway.

The ewes which averaged 53.8kg were purchased by a Northampton buyer.

This same Northampton buyer went to $192 for a line of 207 May/June-drop Douwana blood 42.2kg ewe lambs from LI Reynolds & Co, Northampton.

The next best price for Dorper ewe lambs was $182 for 338 April/May-drop, 51.8kg, Douwana and Ida Vale blood ewes from Banyanda Farms, while 204 March/April-drop, 37.1kg, Kaya blood ewe lambs from RJ & CM Beatty, Toodyay, sold for $180.

There were two lines of White Dorper-Kojak cross ewes offered.

The first line comprised 300 4-5mo ewe lambs averaging 39.4kg from RF Fisher & Co, Beverley, which made $312 when purchased by a Wickepin buyer.

An older line of 278 4.5yo White Dorper-Kojak ewes averaging 60.5kg from GS & B Martin, Wickepin, sold for $296 to a Manjimup buyer.

Four lines of first-cross ewes were offered and three sold to a top of $180.

Recording the $180 top price were 171 Mount Ronan Maternals-Merino cross, 2.5-3.3yo ewes from Anglesey Farming, Gnowangerup.

The line was purchased by a lower Great Southern buyer.

The next best price was $150 for 199 2.5yo Border Leicester-Merino cross ewes from Ravenhoe Farm, Dinninup, while 235 18-19mo Dohne-Merino cross ewes from JC & TB Sullivan, Gibson, sold at $140 to an Esperance buyer.

NUTRIEN Livestock Breeding representative and sale co-ordinator Roy Addis said it was an outstanding sale result.

"The final result was well above expectations and this was certainly a reflection of the catalogue of ewes presented for sale," Mr Addis said.

"There was strong competition and interest from bidders right across Australia with more than 2000 bids placed.

"It was also pleasing to see in the end that more than 90pc of the ewes stayed in WA, the exception was two lines which sold to a South Australian buyer based at Bordertown.

"The offering comprised of mainly shedding types and these met with high demand with many bidders missing out.

"The UltraWhite ewes and any ewes with it infused in their breeding were the standouts and met with extremely strong support, this is a credit to what the Bradford family has done with the breed.

"The success of the sale was due to the support of the vendors, agents and buyers so thank you to the vendors and agents for the presentation of the sheep and also to successful purchasers and undersbidders for their support.

"For buyers which missed out we will hold another maternal online sale on AuctionsPlus on Monday, December 12."