Celebrating its second year of selling top quality Australian White rams in sale form was the Norris and Muir families Babanginy/Bridgetown Whites stud, which achieved a positive result at the Kojonup Showgrounds early last week.
The two families have put a great amount of effort into the stud which saw them present an impressive line-up of 52 good shedding, well-rounded sires that attracted both new and returning buyer support, keen to secure their catalogue favourites and see what the stud had to offer.
The sale team had an average birthweight of 5.2 kilograms and were presented in top notch condition considering they weren't shorn or trimmed in preparation for the sale.
SALE SUMMARY
- (Under the hammer results)
- Offered: 52
- Sold: 28
- Top: $2700
- Gross: $36,000
- Average: $1286
This year, 28 of 52 rams were sold to an average of $1286 and a high of $2700, whereas last year, 54 rams from a 68-head offering sold to an average of $1900.
The stud offered an exceptional line-up of rams, although the sale results were slightly down this year due to the current market conditions.
Nutrien Livestock, Kojonup/Boyup Brook representative Geoff Daw said the sale achieved a pleasing result considering it had been a tricky year for selling rams.
"The Babanginy genetics, as well as the quality of rams is improving each year which is great to see," Mr Daw said.
"The stud is also establishing a good client base of old and new buyers which is impressive."
Mr Daw said the buyers who supported the sale would be very pleased with their purchases going forward.
Taking out the sale's top price of $2700 was an impressive ram from pen 14 that was snapped up by Wayne Littleton, AM Littleton & Son, Quindanning.
The ram was a November 2022-drop sire and weighed 90kg, with an eye muscle depth (EMD) of 38.7mm and a fat scan of 8.5mm.
Former volume buyer in the 2022 stud sale, Mr Littleton purchased five rams to an average of $1600, making him one of two volume buyers in this year's sale.
Mr Littleton said his main focus was to choose rams that had good shedding abilities and were visually sound.
"I also selected rams with good growth rates and EMDs," Mr Littleton said.
The Littleton family runs 300 to 400 Australian White ewe lambs at their property.
"We will be using the rams purchased in the sale over our first-cross ewe lambs, along with retaining a few from the sale today to put over some of our other ewes," he said.
Included in the family's purchases were two rams at $1500 that weighed 78.5kg and 81.5kg, had EMDs of 32.9mm and 31.5mm, to go with fat scans of 7.9mm and 7.8mm respectively.
Taking out second top price honours of $2400 was the Campbell family, J & N Campbell Farm Trust, Boyup Brook.
The July 2022-drop ram was the second last to be presented in the offering, and weighed 83.5kg, had an EMD of 33.5mm and a fat scan of 7.3mm.
The Campbell family secured four rams, to an average of $1550, which included a ram at $1600 from pen 32 that weighed 78.5kg, had an EMD of 32.5mm and a fat scan of 6.6mm.
The other volume buyer, loading up five rams to take home was the Turner family, Tone Park Farms, Tone Bridge, paying an average of $1280.
Its highest price ram was knocked down at $1700 and weighed in at 87kg, with an EMD of 28.2mm and a fat scan of 8.4mm.
Kojonup buyer, Sergio Libera was also a fan of the Babanginy genetics, finishing with a team of four rams at $1000 each.
The rams weights varied from 75kg to 80kg, with EMDs that varied from 27.8mm to 32.9mm and fat scans ranging from 4.2mm to 10mm.
Collie account, Ricetti Bros, managed to secure a team of three rams to an average of $1067.
It paid a high of $1200 for a ram from pen 48 that weighed 83kg and had an EMD of 35.1mm, to go with a fat scan of 8.8mm.
Babanginy stud co-principal Mark Norris said there was a great turnout at the sale this year and he was pleased with the sale's result.
"We have great clients that really appreciate the hard work, effort and genetics we put into the stud," Mr Norris said.
"We believe it was one of the highest Australian White ram sale clearances in WA this season which is great to see."