Ewes sell to $216 at big Katanning sale

The Nutrien Livestock network collaborated for strong numbers from the local Great Southern region and as far south as Grass Patch and east to Newdegate to build the quality yarding of breeding ewes and wether lambs which featured a number of flock dispersals and genuine lines of ewes.

Cold, wet and blustery conditions frustratingly pulled headers up in the paddock but didn't deter a large crowd attending the sale which yielded almost 50 registered buyers.

The sale was also AuctionsPlus interfaced with 41 buyers connecting online from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and locally.

The online platform received 130 online bids across 13 lots from six active bidders, resulting in four pens of ewes selling to a Victorian and Green Range buyer.

At the completion of selling auctioneer Mark Warren had sold 13,794 ewes for an average of $135 and 487 wether lambs to average $100.

Sale summary

While there was no shortage of interest, bidding competition was largely subdued on some descriptions which saw a wide variance in values reflecting the current market.

It's no secret the sheep market has softened over the past 12 months and is reflected in the corresponding fixture last year where 6784 ewes averaged $223 and wether lambs $138.

The yarding comprised of strong numbers of annual draft spring and late winter shorn maiden ewes which sold across a wide range of $111-$216 with 2.5-3.5yo drafts making from $100-$172.

Older ewe values were strongly dictated by quality with 3.5-5.5yo ewes of the above shearing making anywhere from $60 to $172.

The longer jackets in the autumn shorn line-up saw 1.5yo ewes make $212 and 2.5yo ewes from $156-$184.

Two pens of wether lambs sold for $110 for an unshorn draft and $93 for a spring shorn line while a woolly line of ewe lambs returned $125.

Values topped at $216 for a genuine line of 596 November shorn Eastville Park blood 1.5yo ewes offered by JJ & AE Letter, Tambellup.

The large framed quality woolled ewes went to the winning bid of Nutrien Livestock WA commercial sheep manager Tom Bowen who was buying on behalf of a Ballarat, Victoria, order.

Another large framed line of ewes more advanced in the jacket opened the sale in style when the 189 March shorn Keetlen Valley blood 1.5yo ewes offered by DJ & RJ Hams, Keetlen Valley Poll Merino stud, Newdegate, sold for the sale's $212 second top price to Jarrad Hubbard, Nutrien Livestock, Mt Barker, on behalf of a Woogenellup grazier.

Mr Hubbard said the ewes were selected for frame and better wool type and will be joined to Merino rams to breed replacement ewes.

Dumbleyung graziers the Ball family, Dongolocking Farming, recorded the next highest price of $202 for their annual draft of 223 July shorn East Mundalla blood 1.5yo ewes which were knocked down to Nutrien Livestock Narrogin agent Ashley Lock representing a Wagin grazier.

Mr Lock later snapped up a line of 2.5yo October shorn ewes at value for $100 on behalf of another account.

There were good buying opportunities in the balance of 1.5yo ewes which sold from $100 to $158.

Some of these higher prices for young ewes were 510 November shorn Merinotech blood ewes from the flock dispersal of Kingshurst Grazing, Broomehill West, going to a Victorian buyer at Ararat on AuctionsPlus for $158.

The previous line of Kingshurst Grazing 1.5yo ewes made $155 when purchased by Jeremy Walker, JM & ME Walker, Green Range, who also purchased the dispersal's 425 2.5yo ewes for $157 and 801 3.5yo ewes for $135, all November shorn.

Alfranco Farming, Newdegate, received $152 for its draft of 135 September shorn Nepowie blood ewes which were purchased by SJ & MJ Williams, Kojonup, while the flock dispersal of SP Williamson, Kukerin and JW Smart & Co, Pingrup, sold 1.5yo ewes for $150 for drafts of 415 August shorn Angenup blood ewes and 414 November shorn Keetlen Valley blood ewes respectively.

The online Victorian buyer added another line of July shorn Culbin Park blood 1.5yo ewes from the flock dispersal of retiring graziers GE & KL Gale, Boscabel and the sale's only draft of ewe lambs.

The quality well-grown draft of 215 unshorn Quailerup blood youngsters made the trek from Grass Patch and the paddocks of JP & YL Hallam and were knocked down for $125.

The Hallam family also offered their equally impressive unshorn wether lamb brothers which were snapped up by Westcoast Wool & Livestock agent Mark Fairclough for $110.

Mature ewe values reached $184 for a genuine line of 441 April shorn Wiringa Park blood ewes offered by Narlee Grazing, Tambellup, which sold to RW & JM Thomas, Mt Barker.

Another genuine line of November shorn Willemenup blood 2.5yo ewes offered by the Letter family sold for the next highest price of $172 to Sam Bowen, Nutrien Livestock Bruce Rock, for a local account.

The Gale dispersal topped the sale's 3.5yo ewe values with a draft of 621 September shorn Culbin Park blood ewes selling to Matt Lowe, Westcoast Livestock & Wool, Darkan, for $140 who also previously purchased the dispersal's 2.5yo ewes.

Nutrien Livestock Mt Barker agent Harry Carroll paid the sale's $172 top price for 3.5yo ewes for 183 October shorn Quailerup West blood ewes from the paddocks of TW Hardacre & Co, Williams.

Older 5.5yo ewe prices topped at $136 paid by Collyn Garnett, RJ Garnett & Son, Gnowangerup, for 346 June shorn Moojepin blood ewes offered by R & J Garstone, Woodanilling.

The single draft of spring shorn wether lambs was offered by I & FE Staniforth-Smith, Boyup Brook.

What the agent said:

NUTRIEN Livestock auctioneer and Katanning agent Mark Warren said it was a large quality yarding of breeding ewes and wether lambs from the Nutrien Livestock network.

"First time in a long time we have seen almost 15,000 sheep in a breeding ewe sale with three flock dispersals and genuine lines creating strong interest," Mr Warren said.

"We had almost 50 registered buyers but limited harvest completed and movement of lamb and mutton created less buying support from grain growing restockers and there was a drop in values on older sheep which was expected.

"Clearly the sale didn't reach the highs of last year's sale but it reflected the current sheep market and overall I was happy with the result."