Manunda Poll Merino sale at South Tammin tops at $12,500

The Button family offered an extensive catalogue of beautifully presented, large framed, white medium Wheatbelt wool Poll Merino rams reflecting the stud's breeding consistency and continued strong investment in genetics and favourable sheep season at Manunda.

The sheep were described by several pundits as among the most even team seen at the sale.

(Under the hammer results)

Like many WA sheep breeders this year, the Buttons weren't immune to the effects of tight seasonal conditions through areas of their client base and they adjusted their numbers accordingly, albeit only marginally from last year (20 rams less on offer).

However the stud's mainstays along with some new faces with plenty of supporters and industry representatives were on hand and when the sale kicked off, buyers went about filling their pre-mating requirements in traditional fashion with one eye looking to the future.

At the completion of selling, the Nutrien Livestock team and auctioneer Jarrod Hubbard had found new homes for 215 of the 220 rams offered at auction at a 98 per cent clearance rate.

This year's overall average of $1900 represented a $55 jump from last year's figure of $1845 from bigger numbers of 234 of 240 rams selling under the hammer, also at 98pc clearance.

Stud and nucleus breeders were active on the sale's top rams with prices topping at $12,500, while commercial values ranged from $3800 to $800, giving producers of all budgets the opportunity to fill their requirements with good quality rams right through to the final lot.

At the call of 'sale-o', buyers gathered for the opening run of 17 regulation February shorn shed prepared rams and they didn't have to wait long until the sale's top price was recorded with lot two knocked down to Mitchell Crosby, Nutrien Livestock Breeding, bidding via phone on behalf of Nick Wadlow and family, Old Ashrose stud, Hallett, South Australia.

The ram was sired by a Haseley-Poll Boonoke 'Bobcat' 180137 ram and displayed current August wool tests of 19.2 micron, 2.9 SD, 15.2 CV and 99.4pc comfort factor (CF).

Manunda purchased Bobcat in half share with Kamballie stud for $70,000 in 2019.

Its raw data percentages measured against the average from the top 500 of the total drop of 1500 ram lambs were 127pc bodyweight (BWT), 110pc greasy fleece weight (GFW), 4pc eye muscle depth (EMD) and 2.4pc fat.

It recorded Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 5.08 weaning weight (WWT), 9.69 yearling weight (YWT), 14.89 yearling greasy fleece weight (YGFW), 19.5 yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW), -0.81 yearling fibre diameter (YFD) and 149 Merino Production Index (MP+).

The upstanding stylish wool ram attracted plenty of interest prior to the sale, at field days and online, with the Manunda stud retaining some semen for their own stud use.

The Wadlow family saw a video of the ram being promoted on Manunda's Facebook page and, keen to introduce a new family line to their stud, it sparked their interest to make further enquires to Manunda stud principal Wayne Button.

Mr Crosby said the sire had a strong set of figures in good micron range with bright, white, crimpy wool.

Regular buyers of top-end Manunda rams CJ & AR Hooper, Merredin, were front and centre of the stylish team leader in lot one and won its services with the sale's $6000 second top price bid.

The ram was by Manunda 20-579 - by influential industry sire Rhamily Benny - and displayed wool tests of 19.2 micron, 3 SD, 15.4 CV and 99.6pc comfort factor.

It had raw data percentages of 144pc BWT, 113pc GFW, 5pc EMD and 4.2pc fat while it recorded strong ASBVs in the top 5pc for WWT 7.24 and top 10pc for YWT 11.3 along with 17.1 YGFW, 18.5 YCFW, -1.67 YFD and 133 MP+.

Another long-time nucleus sire buyer at the stud, Neil Schorer, Schorer Nominees, West Pingelly and his livestock agent Ashley Lock, Nutrien Livestock, Narrogin, found a gem well into the sale in lot 60 and paid the $5000 top price for the late March shorn paddock prepared rams.

The big framed, white wooled Manunda syndicate bred ram tested 19.2 micron, 3.8 SD, 19.8 CV, 99.7pc CF with raw data percentages of 116pc BWT, 100pc GFW, 0pc EMD and 1.5pc fat while its ASBVs were 2.83 WWT, 5.37 YWT, 9.54 YGFW, 16.1 YCFW and -2.28 YFD (top 20pc).

Mr Schorer has been sourcing sires at Manunda for 11 years for his 200-strong nucleus ewe flock to breed his own flock rams.

Mr Schorer mated a total of 3000 December shorn ewes at the start of January with 2700 mated back to Merinos and the balance terminal sires.

He said his latest Manunda addition to the sire battery caught his eye, stood well with a good frame and stylish wool.

The King family, White Springs stud, Calingiri, sourced two new Manunda sires, first paying $3500 for a Manunda 20-0579 son before raising the bar to the sale's fourth overall top price of $4600 for a Collinsville 20-0252 son penned in lot 38.

It tested 20.3 micron, 3.3 SD, 16.3 CV, 100pc CF, raw data percentages of 115pc BWT, 98pc GFW, 0pc EMD and -0.2pc fat and ASBVs of 5.02 WWT, 5.66 YWT, 4.42 YGFW, 9.39 YCFW, -1.37 YFD and 139 MP+.

Cunderdin producers Davison Farm Enterprises Pty Ltd paid the next highest value of $3800 for a higher indexing 20.4 micron Manunda 19-2775 son, by East Mundalla 22, in lot 20 which recorded above average raw percentages and top 20pc ASBV for YFD (-1.87).

Manunda client of more than three decades, Rick Innes, Innes & Co, Kellerberrin, wasn't afraid to bid up on his selections and finished with a team of 11 rams, paying a healthy average of $2595 and to a $3750 top price for a heavy cutting Haseley syndicate bred ram in lot eight.

KL Clarke & Co, Goomalling, was another buyer to outlay higher commercial values for numbers, totaling eight rams for a strong average of $2775.

A string of buyers put together significant teams of rams.

The sale's volume buyer, Peter Whitfield, CB & CA Whitfield & Son, Konnongorring, finished with a team of 15 rams costing from $1000 to $2200.

Regular buyer of numbers, KJ & RP Siegert, Wongan Hills, joined GA & AP Morgan, Kellerberrin, in building teams of 13 rams each paying from $800-$2200 and $1000-$2800 respectively.

Another annual buyer of numbers, Timbarra Trading Trust, Wandering, returned for a team of 12 rams bidding to a $2600 top, KL Tippet & Co, Shackleton and JW & FG Dixon & Son, Tammin, finished with 11 rams each, while another double digit account was Jonlorrie Farms, York, with 10 rams paying to a $2400 top.

The Button family generously donated the proceeds of the ram in lot 121 to the Shearing For Liz Pink Day fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research Centre - WA.

The Haseley-Manunda 19-0065 bred ram, 19-0065 by Banavie 333, was knocked down to sale regular Paul Giles, E Giles & Co, Doodlakine, at $2800.