British breed prices and clearances rise, in a welcome turnaround

Given all that has gone on in the sheep and wool industry in the past 12 to 18 months, British and Australasian breeds ram sales had a partial win this year with both prices and clearance rates rising.

With lamb prices up from 12 months ago and a good long-term outlook for the demand for Australian lamb, buyers went into this year's ram sales with a better mindset, despite still struggling to get booking space with processors and tough seasonal conditions at the start of the year.

The turnaround in lamb prices, and concerns about the flagging wool market and shutdown of the sheep live export market by sea in 2028, made producers rethink their sheep enterprises, and as a result, many this year have decided to join more ewes to terminal sires or join to terminal sires for the first time.

These changes to producers' programs helped increase the demand for British and Australasian breeds rams at sales and as a result most sales recorded improved results in terms of prices and number of rams sold compared to 2023.

When the final ram was knocked down at the season's last British and Australasian ram sale, 4349 rams had been offered at 43 sales, representing 11 breeds and their composites.

These numbers were dominated by White Suffolk and Poll Dorset, accounting for 84pc of all rams offered.

Under the hammer, 3795 rams were sold for a gross of $4,213,430 and an average of $1110.

Compared to 2023, 210 fewer rams were offered and two less sold, while the gross increased by $149,330 and the average rose $40 or four per cent on last year.

The percentage of rams offered to sold was 87pc, which was up 5pc on last year.

When ranked against the other seasons in the past 10 years, this year's average was the fourth best, while the gross ranked as third lowest collected over the same period.

In terms of rams offered and sold - the offering was the second smallest in the past 10 years while in terms of rams sold it was the lowest figure in the past decade.

Since Farm Weekly started collating records in 2000, the 2022 and 2005 seasons were the biggest for producers.

The 2022 season ranks as the best for breeders in terms of average and gross figures.

In 2022 breeders offered 4701 rams and sold 4385 for a gross of $6,038,675 and an average of $1377.

The 2005 season was the biggest season for the number of rams offered and sold with 4652 rams sold from 5115 offered at an average of $884.

Like other breeds this year, the British Breed sales weren't immune to the position of the sheep markets and seasonal conditions but in the main most breeders experienced more positive sales compared to last year.

There were 29 sales out of the 43 held that recorded an increase in average from 2023 ranging from $3 to $1552, while there were nine breeds to improve their average on last year and these improvements ranged from $9 to $383.

In comparison last year only four sales recorded a lift in average, while no breeds recorded an improvement.

The gross figure is also another measure of a sale's success and this year there were 26 sales and eight breeds which saw an improvement on this figure compared to 2023.

In terms of rams offered and sold, 23 sales had equal or bigger offerings than 2023 and at 21 sales there were the same number or more rams sold and four sales notched up a complete clearance.

When it comes to breeds, four breeds offered the same or more rams than last year, while five sold the same number or more rams and there were no breeds to achieve a total clearance.

The White Suffolk breed again claimed top price honours with the $16,000 top-priced British and Australasian ram sold by Brenton and Harriet Addis, Yonga Downs stud, Broomehill, at the Perth Royal Show All Breeds Ram & Ewe Sale in late September.

The ram was purchased by the Blechynden family's Southdale stud, Brookton.

The June 2023-drop ram is by Yonga Downs 210098 and it has ASBVs of 0.57 birthweight (BWT), 12.63 weaning weight (WWT), 20.34 post weaning weight (PWWT), 3.53 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD) and 0.66 post weaning fat (PFAT) along with indexes of 158.36 for terminal carcase production (TCP) and 151.48 for lamb eating quality (LEQ).

The $10,250 second top priced ram was also a White Suffolk sire and it was sold by the Fairclough family's Stockdale stud, York, at the Perth Royal Show sale.

The ram, which is by Rangeview 190098 and out of Waratah 200559, was purchased by the Ditchburn family's Golden Hill stud, Kukerin.

The ram has ASBVs of 0.42 BWT, 12.17 WWT, 17.66 PWWT, 3.66 PEMD and -0.16 PFAT as well as index values of 160.98 for TCP and 157.59 for LEQ.

Another White Suffolk ram from the Bingham family's Iveston stud, Williams, rounded out the season's top three prices when it sold at $6600 to the Ledwith family's Kolindale stud, Dudinin, at the Perth Royal Show sale.

The $6250 fourth top-priced ram for the season was a Poll Dorset sold at the Perth Royal Show sale by the Squiers family's Shirlee Downs stud, Quairading, to the Lawrence family, Canternatting stud, Southern Brook.

The fifth top price was $6000 and it was achieved by a Suffolk sire sold by Richard Philipps and Sally Larkin's Karinya stud, Boyup Brook, to the Bundarra Downs stud, Bordertown, South Australia, at the Perth Royal Show sale.

The White Suffolk breed accounted for six of the 10 British and Australasian breeds rams to sell at more than $5000 at sales this season.

The title for the highest grossing sale again went to the BreedersBEST Genetics on-property sale.

All up there were 307 rams representing three breeds offered and 302 sold for a gross of $465,600 and an average of $1542.

In terms of gross results, the only two other sales to gross more than $200,000 was the Cheetham family's Cheetara White Suffolk, Suffolk and Poll Dorset sale at Narembeen ($214,400) and the Shirlee Downs/Dongadilling Poll Dorset and White Suffolk on-property sale at Quairading ($205,500).

There were another four sales to gross between $150,000-$200,000 and they were Kojonup Triple S, Boree Park White Suffolk on-property sale at Boyup Brook, Kolindale on-property White Suffolk sale and the Golden Hill on-property White Suffolk sale while eight others grossed between $100,000-$150,000.

All up 15 sales grossed more than $100,000 compared to 16 in 2023 and 26 in 2022.

In the average stakes, the Perth Royal Show sale took top honours when it recorded a $4883 average for the 24 rams sold from 36 offered.

The BreedersBEST Genetics sale recorded the next highest average at $1542, while the third highest was the Golden Hill sale at $1531.

A further two sales averaged more than $1200 - Yonga Downs and Kalagan White Suffolk sale, Broomehill ($1390) and Boree Park ($1283), while another 17 sales averaged $1000 - $1200, taking the number of sales averaging more than $1000 to 22, compared to 17 last year and 36 in 2022.

This year there were 29 sales to achieve an improvement in average, which ranged from $3 to $1552.

The Perth Royal Show sale recorded the largest increase in average of $1552, while the next biggest rise was $320 and it was recorded at the Codji Springs on-prooperty White Suffolk sale at Wandering.

Three other sales recorded a lift in average of more than $200 and they were Royston White Suffolk, Napier ($273); Venturon White Suffolk and Charollais, Boyup Brook ($269) and Tellarup Brook Poll Dorset, Manjimup ($236).

For a ninth year on the trot the White Suffolk breed took the mantle as the biggest selling breed.

White Suffolks featured in 32 out of the 43 sales (or 74pc) and made up 60pc of British and Australasian breeds rams offered, 61pc of rams sold and 61pc of the season's gross return.

All up there were 2626 rams offered and 2332 sold under the hammer for a gross of $2,588,930 and an average of $1110.

The average was up $49 on last season when 2701 rams were offered and 2350 sold for an average of $1061, meaning there were 75 less rams offered and 18 less sold compared to last year.

As previously mentioned Brenton and Harriet Addis's Yonga Downs stud sold the breed's top priced ram at $16,000 at the Perth Royal Show sale.

Yonga Downs also sold the breed's $5100 fifth top-priced ram at its on-property sale.

The second and third highest prices for the breed as previously mentioned were $10,250 and $6600 achieved by the Stockdale and Iveston studs respectively at the Perth Royal Show ram sale while the fourth top price was $5200 recorded at the Boree Park on-property sale.

There were eight White Suffolk sales that grossed more than $100,000 and the one which recorded the largest gross was the Cheetara on-property sale, where 170 rams were offered and sold for a gross of $188,100.

The next biggest were the Boree Park sale (139 offered, 136 sold, $174,500); Kolindale sale (170, 170, $164,300); Golden Hill (104, 104, $159,200) and Yonga Downs/Kalagan (100, 100, $139,000).

These sales were also among the biggest in terms of numbers offered and sold.

There were nine sales all up where 100 or more White Suffolks were offered and six sales which cleared more than 100 rams under the hammer.

Other bigger sales where more than 100 rams were offered included Glenbrook, Darkan (149 offered and 122 sold); Esperance Breeders (114, 79); Stockdale on-property, York (102, 97); Lukin Springs on-property, Boyup Brook (100, 61).

In terms of averages the Perth Royal Show sale led the way for the breed with an average of $6183 for nine rams sold from 13 offered.

Other strong sale averages were Golden Hill ($1531); BreedersBEST Genetics ($1450); Yonga Downs/Kalagan ($1390); Boree Park ($1283) and Sandown, Carnamah ($1225), while another 13 sales averaged $1000-$1200, making it a total of 19 to average more than $1000, which was five more than last year.

White Suffolk studs to record solid results at multi-vendor sales included Lynefield (15 offered, 15 sold, $1293) at the Williams Breeders' sale; Blackwood (56, 55, $1206) and Penwortham (6, 6, $1125) at Dinninup; Millinup (90, 81, $1136) at Elders Albany Prime Lamb and Merna (18, 18, $1042) and Sasimwa (15, 15, $1030) at the Quairading Breeders' sale.

There were some good clearance rates in the White Suffolk breed, with 11 sales (where more than 10 rams were offered) achieving a 100pc clearance and these were Cheetara (170); Kolindale (170); Golden Hill (104); Yonga Downs/Kalagan (100); BreedersBEST Genetics (92); Southdale (80); Stirling End, Gnowellen (79); Kantara, Wagin (Dumbleyung), Sandown (48); Quairading (48) and Wongan Hills (35).

The overall clearance rate for the breed was 89pc which was up 2pc on 2023.

The Poll Dorset breed had to again settle as being the second biggest.

This year there were 1039 Poll Dorsets offered at 22 sales and 915 sold for a gross of $985,750 and an average of $1077.

Compared to last year when 913 rams sold from 1112 offered to average $1068 and gross $974,775, there were 73 less Poll Dorsets offered, two more less sold, while the gross was up $10,975 and the average rose $9.

The clearance rate of 88pc was up 6pc on last year's figure of 82pc, while there were seven sales to post a total clearance.

This year was the second year in a row since 2001 that the breed failed to gross more than $1m and the second time since records started in 2000 it failed to sell more than 1000 rams.

Poll Dorsets this year accounted for 23pc of the terminal sires offered, 24pc of rams sold and 23pc of the gross.

As previously mentioned the Squiers family's Shirlee Downs stud sold the breed's $6250 top-priced ram at the Perth Royal Show sale.

Also in the Perth Royal Show sale, Shirlee Downs sold the breed's $5400 second top-priced ram, while the Tipperary stud, Walkaway, sold the breed's $5000 third top-priced ram in the same sale.

The best price for the breed outside the Perth Royal Show Sale and its fourth top price was $4100 achieved at the BreedersBEST Genetics sale.

The highest grossing sale for the Poll Dorset breed was the BreedersBEST Genetics sale where 119 rams sold from 119 offered for a gross of $185,400.

This was followed by the Kojonup Triple S sale (134 offered, 124 sold, $130,750); the Shirlee Downs/Dongadilling on-property sale (122, 103, $119,200) and the Tipperary sale at Chapman Valley (100,100, $90,600).

These four sales also had the biggest offerings for the breed.

The Perth Royal Show ram sale led the average stakes with 10 rams selling from 17 offered at an average of $4225.

The next best and the only others to average more than $1000 were BreedersBEST Genetics ($1558); Shirlee Downs/Dongadilling ($1157); Kojonup Triple S ($1054); Lakeside/Elspeth at Pingelly ($1041) and Tellarup Brook ($1011).

Studs worthy of a mention which achieved top results at multi-vendor sales were Orrvale (85 offered, 75 sold, $1063 average) and Glencraobh/Amberley (49, 49, $1042) at the Kojonup Triple S sale; and Merna (10, 10, $940) at Quairading.

The seven sales to achieve a 100pc clearance in the breed were BreedersBEST Genetics (119); Tipperary (100); Eringa Park, Kalannie (67); Leween, Mt Barker (50); Sandown (28); Cunderdin Triple C (17) and Quairading (10).

The Suffolk breed was again the third biggest in terms of the gross figure and the number of rams offered and sold.

This year Suffolk breeders offered 284 (down six rams) and sold 224 (down seven rams) at 11 sales for a clearance rate of 70pc, which was down 1pc on 2023.

The breed grossed $218,700 and averaged $976, which was down $4 on last year.

The top price for the breed was $6000 (the season's fifth top price) and it was achieved by the Karinya stud when it sold a ram at this value to a South Australian stud, at the Perth Royal Show sale.

At the Perth Royal Show sale the Goldenover stud, Cuballing, sold the breed's $5500 second top-priced ram.

The biggest numbers of Suffolk rams was seen at the Duff family's Cheeryna on-property sale at Williams where 94 rams sold from 100 offered.

Other bigger offerings were at the Cheetara sale where 45 rams were offered and 24 sold, while at the Kojonup Triple S sale the Karinya stud offered 36 rams and sold 19.

Cheeryna was clearly the highest grossing sale at $91,850, followed by Cheetara at $23,500 and Kojonup Triple S at $21,450.

The Perth Royal Show ram sale claimed top average honours with a figure of $4325 for four rams sold from five offered, outside that the Kojonup Triple S was next best at $1129 followed by the Williams Breeders' sale at $1127.

Studs at multi-vendor sales to average more than $1000 were Karinya (36 offered, 19 sold, $1129) at the Kojonup Triple S and Rocky Ridge (15, 15, $1127) at Williams.

There were four Suffolk sales to achieve a 100pc clearance and they were Natawandi, Karridale (26); Wongan Hills (15), Williams (15) and Dinninup (8).

The fourth biggest breed in terms of the number of rams offered and sold and gross takings was the Prolific breed with all rams sold at the BreedersBEST Genetics sale.

In the sale, 96 rams were offered and 91 sold to a top of $4200, a gross of $146,800 and an average of $1613, which was the second highest average across all the British and Australasian breeds sold this season.

Compared to last year there were the same number of Prolific rams offered and eight more sold, while the gross rose $19,300 and the average increased by $77.

The fifth biggest breed in terms of numbers offered, sold and gross returns was the Maternal Composite breed and all these rams were offered at the Mount Ronan sale.

There were 88 Maternal Composite rams offered and 61 sold for an average of $1230, a gross of $75,000 and to a top of $2600.

These figures meant there were 21 less Maternal Composite rams offered and 19 less sold compared to last season, while the gross was down $29,200 and the average fell $73.

The Texel breed recorded the best breed average for the year as well as the largest lift in average compared to last year.

The breed averaged $1635, which was up $383 on last year.

The Glover family's JimJan stud, Boyup Brook, was the only breeder to offer Texel rams when it presented 24 sires at the Kojonup Triple S sale and sold 23 to a top of $2700 and a gross of $37,600.

The Charollais breed recorded the second largest lift in average and the third best breed average for the season.

This year Charollais rams were offered by two studs at two different fixtures and this saw 46 sell from 58 offered to a top of $3600 and an average of $1254, which was up $229 on last year.

The Border Leicester and South Suffolk breeds rounded out the other breeds to offer more than 30 head.

The Border Leicester breed had an improved year selling 43 rams from 63 offered at an average of $824, which was up $131, while the South Suffolk breed cleared 34 rams from 45 offered at an average of $1115, which was up $215, making it the only other breed outside Texel and Charollais to improve its average by more than $200 this year.