$110,000 for Garnett SheepMaster ram sets best price for the 2022 season

The final fixture on the WA sheep seedstock calendar raced straight to the top of the honour board, recording the State's best and second best ram prices and top average for the season by a long shot.

Known as the small cattle sheep breed, the results obtained were more in line with recent Eastern States' bull sales with top prices of $110,000 and $105,000 and 20 rams selling for $10,000 or more giving an average of $10,159 and gross of $944,800 for 93 rams offered and sold at auction.

This year all 93 rams came from the Garnett SheepMaster parent flock, bred and prepared by Neil Garnett, his partner Alison Bannan, her brother Brian 'Bud' Prater and his wife Susi, at their Elleker-based White Dog Lane farm.

Twelve months ago at the corresponding fixture 59 of the 79 rams offered were from the parent stud with the remainder provided via AuctionsPlus from four New South Wales SheepMaster studs.

The result then, again through Elders, was a top price of $90,000, at the time the highest price paid in WA for a WA bred ram of any breed since 1991, a gross of $497,300 and an average of $6812, outcomes that paled by comparison this year.

For SheepMaster founder and parent stud co-director Neil Garnett, it was further vindication that the breeding pathway he adopted almost 30 years ago and the full shedding breed he set about creating (with collaboration) to satisfy his vision was "the right one".

With a well attended presale sundowner, ram viewing and meat industry expert Simon Quilty, Global AgriTrends Australian managing director, Wangaratta, Victoria as guest speaker the afternoon/evening the day before the scene was set for success.

And by the call of sale-o on Friday there were 31 registered buyers all making a statement that the SheepMaster breed was also "the right one" for them.

Leading the charge was South Australian buyer John Dalla, Orrie Cowie Genetics, Warooka, bidding through Alistair Keller, Elders Stud Stock, SA and he made it clear from the outset he would not be beaten on the rams of his choice.

Lot one was the first on their list, an August 21 drop Regent family ram with a tonne of sire appeal, length of body, great structure and silky soft clean skin which weighed in at 110.5kg, with eye muscle area (EMA) of 45.9mm and 5.4mm fat.

Mr Dalla said to him Tag Y538, described as the most complete, modern sire the stud had produced, was the best ram in the catalogue.

"He is very structurally correct, stylish, athletic, looks great on the move and is a perfect shedder," Mr Dalla said.

"As an August drop, he is just a baby but has a big weight and terrific EMA to weight ratio for a youngster.

"And he has a super soft hair and skin, a mark of a good shedder and of superior eating quality."

As the fourth ranked blade shearer in the world and co-principal of Orrie Cowie Merino and Poll Merino stud, skin and surface is something Mr Dalla knows a thing or two about.

"We are certainly staying with our stud Merinos, just diversifying into SheepMasters as well," he said.

"This has been driven by shearer and labour issues for our clients.

"We looked at all the shedding breeds and believe SheepMaster is the best for type and to truly shed clean.

"They will run on separate properties to our Merinos, especially on tougher country and properties where we do not have any shearing infrastructure."

Mr Dalla bought 500 SheepMaster ewes earlier this year from three breeders in WA and New South Wales as the foundation for his stud, the first registered SheepMaster stud in South Australia and will join them in three weeks' time.

As outlined in the catalogue, semen rights in tag Y538 and lots two and three, are retained by Garnett SheepMaster but through negotiation semen can be offered on a 50:50 share basis, something Mr Dalla said they would be following up on.

Adding to the Orrie Cowie Genetics sire battery were another five rams purchased at the sale, giving a total outlay on the day of $181,600 and $33,058 average for six rams.

This included SheepMaster syndicate ram Y364, a May 21 drop sire in lot 59 weighing 112.5kg, with 40.2mm EMA and 12.9mm fat at $19,000, a May drop Monarch special stud sire in lot 10 weighing 131.5kg, with 45.5mm EMA and 7.1mm fat at $18,500, an April drop Regent special stud sire in lot 20 weighing 109kg, 44.5mm EMA and 5.8mm fat for $16,200 and a February 21 Apollo special stud sire in lot eight weighing 122.5kg with 45.5mm EMA at $14,500.

The day's second top price of $105,000 was achieved for the second ram sold, a May 21 Statesman special stud semen sire described as a classic sire with exceptional correctness and balance and in which semen rights were also retained.

Elders auctioneer Nathan King fielded bids locally among the buying audience and from Elders stud stock manager Tim Spicer, manning the AuctionsPlus phone line, and it was an online and first-time buyer from Merton, Victoria, intending to start a SheepMaster stud, who emerged victorious.

The ram's weight of 119kg matched its Y119 tag and paired with 45.7mm EMA and 12.6mm fat.

Another long-time Merino and Poll Merino breeder and astute judge of sheep flesh Graham and his wife Susan Coddington emerged as the buyers of the third top-priced ram, tag Y074 in lot three for $45,000.

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The third of the special stud semen sires, the May 21 drop Statesman son was described as having amazing bone, size, balance and body structure and with a weight of 129.5kg, 44.5mm EMA and 7.7mm fat, it fitted the bill perfectly for the Coddington's newly-formed Coddington SheepMasters.

"We will certainly be sticking with our Coddington Uardry Merino stud, but this is a separate operation to suit our tougher country and where there will be no crutching, shearing or lamb marking," Mr Coddington said.

The SheepMasters will be headed for their 15,000 hectare Mundiwa station at the junction of the Culgoa and Birrie Rivers at Brewarrina in New South Wales.

"There we need fat cover for doability and good EMAs as we will sell lambs straight off mum at four to five months of age for ease of management."

Mr Coddington said they had tried several shedding sheep breeds but had been drawn to the SheepMaster for its capacity, shedding ability and good feet and structure.

The couple outlaid a $16,750 average for eight rams which included a May drop Apollo special stud sire in lot 13 weighing 132kg with 46.7mm EMA and 11.2mm fat for $31,000, a June 21 drop SheepMaster syndicate sire in lot 38 which weighed 110kg, with 42.8mm EMA and 11.2mm fat for $21,000 and a May 21 drop SheepMaster syndicate ram in lot 22 weighing 131kg with 46.3mm EMA and 16mm fat at $16,000.

Local buyers who appeared on the top end of the clerking sheets were Tony and Joanna Slattery, Twin Peaks, Gnowellen, who bid to a top of $31,500 for a June 21 drop, Monarch special stud sire in lot nine weighing 127kg, 43.4mm EMA and 6.6mm fat.

The commercial producers who have been SheepMaster clients "since the beginning" are currently running 2300 SheepMaster cross ewes plus a 300 head purebred nucleus ewe flock and finished with three rams for a $15,300 average.

The day's major volume buyers and losing bidders on the top-priced ram, were first time buyers Richard Sharpe and Bernadette Binnie, Winton Park SheepMasters, Tamworth, New South Wales, who accounted for 20 rams, 22 per cent of the total yarding of 93 head for an outlay of $112,600 at a $5630 average.

Leaning to sires suitable for a self replacing ewe flock more than terminal traits, their team included a $15,400 May 21 drop Duke special stud sire weighing 136kg, with EMA of 52mm and 12.6mm fat and a SheepMaster syndicate sire at $13,200.

The couple bought ewes earlier this year and say the SheepMaster will fit well with their move to regenerative agriculture.

"It's about kilos per hectare produced and being non seasonal joiners means three lambings in two years adds to their viability and efficiency," Mr Sharpe said.

"You can take one good ram and join him across several matings."

"We believe the SheepMaster is superior for its temperament, its mothering ability and it is a true shedder," added Ms Binnie.

"Flystrike has been a huge issue in our area with all this wet weather, we've just had 250mm in five weeks.

"The other fantastic thing with this breed is the support provided by Neil (Garnett) and Andrew (Hodgson - Elders shedding sheep specialist, Perth) who have visited us and shared their considerable sheep knowledge to help us plan our strategy."

Aaron Nicholls, Nicholls Family Trust, Ferny Hill, Gundagai, New South Wales, was another volume buyer who averaged $9938 for a draft of eight sires which included a May drop, Duke special stud sire 'with an excellent skin' weighing 120kg, 44mm EMA and 7.4mm fat.

Closer to home, Geoff Crabb bid to $22,000 for a single ram for Battle Force, Walkaway, and Trevor Flugge, TS & LE Flugge, Busselton, bought two rams at $15,500 and $9000, while Mayvale SheepMaster stud, Taralga, NSW, bid to a $16,500 top and $8220 average for five rams.

Messages to consistently come through were that buyers wanted easy-care sheep that would shed truly to mitigate against shearing, labour and management woes, that exercised genuine fertility and maternal traits, with growth rates that would allow early lamb turn-off and younger matings and which had some respect for fences and there was an obvious groundswell of satisfaction in the Garnett SheepMaster product.

Stud principal Neil Garnett said it was a major team effort and they had been overwhelmed with the support shown by both stud and commercial producers from around Australia.

"This has been a project 30 years in the making and to see it all coming together is fantastic," Mr Garnett said.

"These sheep have been bred on the south coast in some of the wettest and toughest conditions for sheep, but you can see our emphasis on 100 per cent shedding, bodyweight and good structure and that is what people are appreciating."

With almost an if they'll shed here, they'll shed anywhere mindset Mr Garnett said it was the Damara in the SheepMaster's background that gave the edge to the silky smooth skins coming through and also provided maternal aspects.

"Like cattle, unless they are producing a calf or lambs they are a dead weight," he said.

"My dad always said the three most important things in sheep breeding are fertility, fertility and fertility and I haven't been able to prove him wrong yet.

"We are really looking at the dollar return in production from every ewe."

Speaking after the sale, Elders auctioneer Nathan King said it had been a huge result for all concerned.

"It was great to see the number of registrations and people in attendance, including many who had travelled from the Eastern States," Mr King said.

"The depth of quality was certainly there with plenty of mobility, stretch and length of body in the rams and a maternal focus through the flock.

"And the very clean, smooth soft skins met people's expectations that these types of sheep will shed clean."

More private sale and guest speaker coverage next week.