A line-up of quality Brimfield style Poll Dorset and White Suffolk stud sires were presented at the stud's annual on-property ram sale at Kendenup last week.
A catalogue of well-rounded, exceptionally even rams were presented by stud co-principals Max Whyte and Gail Cremasco that were backed up by figures to prove their breeding abilities.
Prospective local buyers, both returning and new, as well as onlookers made a day of the sale to support the stud, top up their sires batteries with quality rams and enjoy the Brimfield teams, hospitality.
A total of 110 rams were offered in the sale and by the end of it 72 had sold to an average of $940.
Broken down, there were 23 Poll Dorset rams offered of which six sold to an average of $1117 and 66 of the 87 White Suffolk sires offered, sold to an average of $924.
The sale's clearance and average was slightly down on last year's sale due to the current WA market conditions.
Elders, Mt Barker representative Dean Wallinger said the overall offering was presented very well.
"It was a very good, quality line-up of rams," Mr Wallinger said.
"There was good support on the White Suffolk side of things.
"As for the Poll Dorsets, they were of great quality but there was a lack of buyers looking for Poll Dorset rams."
The sale kicked off with the Poll Dorset ram offering, which Elders auctioneer Graeme Curry knocked down to a top of $2000 bid by return buyer and WA College of Agriculture - Denmark farm manager Kevin Marshall.
The ram had Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 0.43 birthweight (BWT), 15.31 post-weaning weight (PWWT), -0.18 post weaning fat (PFAT), 1.59 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD), and a terminal carcase production (TCP) index of 136.14.
Mr Marshall said the college had been buying from the stud for four years.
"I was selecting for length and growth for age and this ram had both those traits," Mr Marshall said.
"We like to buy a good quality ram every few years."
Mr Marshall said the college runs 25 purebred Poll Dorset stud ewes and they will use the new ram over them.
"After we use the ram over our purebred stud ewes we will use him as a backup to service the 600 commercial ewes we also run at the property," he said.
Paying the second top price of $1500 in the Poll Dorset offering was AG & LJ Mills, Millbrook.
The Mills' ram had ASBVs of 0.6 BWT, 18.19 PWWT, -1.00 PFAT, 2.04 PEMD and a TCP index of 148.56.
The remaining four rams in the Poll Dorset offering sold for $800 each to Knowsley Grazing, Katanning.
The rams had TCP indexes of 129, 135.56, 138.33 and 141.98, respectively.
The first ram in the White Suffolk offering was a stud ram and achieved the highest price in the sale, when it sold to RE & A Shepherd, Mt Barker, for $3000.
The Shepherd family bid up on their catalogue favourite which had ASBVs of 0.82 BWT, 22.69 PWWT, -1.04 PFAT, 1.87 PEMD and a TCP index of 161.77.
Taking out second top price honours at $1300 in the White Suffolk offering was a flock ram bought by Knowsley Grazing.
This ram had ASBVs of 0.61 BWT, 19.49 PWWT, -0.41 PFAT, 2.32 PEMD and a TCP index of 153.22.
Knowsley Grazing loaded up four rams post sale to an average of $1188, which included a third top price ram for $1200.
MA & PK Wood, Green Range, which was a three way equal volume buyer, also picked up a third top price ram among its team of 10 quality rams that averaged $900.
Its $1200 sire had ASBVs of 0.45 BWT, 15.02 PWWT, -0.43 PFAT, 1.71 PEMD and a TCP index of 140.53.
A big fan of the Brimfield genetics and also a volume buyer was return buyer, C & KA Tomlinson, Tenterden, which secured a team of 10 rams that averaged $830.
Mr Wallinger, purchased on behalf of the Tomlinson family and paid a high of $850, six times.
Of their $850 rams, their TCP indexes ranged from 135.36 to 146.40.
Mr Wallinger said the Tomlinson family was selecting on shape and thickness, as well as growth.
"They are aiming to breed prime lambs from their Merino ewes," Mr Wallinger said.
Blackwattle Grazing, Mt Barker, was the last volume buyer and paid an average of $820 for its team of 10 rams.
It also paid a high of $850, four times, and the ram's TCP indexes ranged from 143.77 to 149.50.
There were six accounts that purchased larger teams of White Suffolk rams, being KR & LA Tooke, Boyup Brook, which paid an average of $1000, Gorman Pastoral, Wellstead, paying an average of $937.50, Jameric Grazing, Kojonup, for a team averaging $930, DM & MG Bentley, Mt Barker, which paid an average of $875, along with Kendenup-based account, T Saggers, that averaged $800, followed by TM Sampson, Kendenup, which also paid an average of $800.
Brimfield stud co-principal Max Whyte said considering the current market conditions the sale result was reasonable.
"We would like to thank all our clients, both new and old for their support, and the Elders staff for their hard work," Mr Whyte said.
