Strong buyer investment and record prices in this big southern ram sale

It was not only a big sale in terms of numbers at last week's Esperance Breeders' Ram Sale, it was also a big sale in terms of results.

With better seasonal conditions and plenty of positives coming out of the sheep and wool industry in the past six months in terms of prices, buyers showed they weren't afraid to bid up on the quality line-up of rams and reinvest in their sheep enterprises.

This strong buying support resulted in an average of more than $2000 across the shed, which is its best ever on record.

In the sale, which can claim to be the largest multi-breed, multi-vendor sale in the State, six studs offered a combined 315 Merino, Poll Merino and White Suffolk rams and they were supported by 52 registered bidders, from not only the local area, but as far away as Boyup Brook and Williams, as well as South Australia and Victoria.

Unlike the past couple of years, where buyers have been reserved in their bidding due to tough seasonal and market conditions, this year they were more animated as they chased the sires they wanted to take their breeding programs forward, which kept the Nutrien Livestock selling team, headed by auctioneer James Culleton on their toes as the bids flew in.

In the Merino sections, prices regularly went beyond the $3000 mark and topped at $6200, while in the White Suffolk side, prices topped at $3600.

When the final numbers were crunched, the large buying list had cleared 89 per cent, equating to 280 rams under the hammer, after just over three hours of selling for a total gross of $565,700 and an average of $2020, the best ever recorded.

In comparison, this year there were 28 more rams sold and the average was up $782 on last year's average of $1238 when 252 rams sold from 328 offered.

Nutrien Livestock, Esperance agent, Darren Chatley, said it was a fantastic sale with good buying competition right through the shed.

"Better seasonal conditions in the area, in terms of both feed and water and also the strong sheep and lamb prices over the past six months, has given producers a boost and more positivity around their sheep enterprises and you could see it in their bidding today," Mr Chatley said.

"It was a quality line-up of rams from all vendors and buyers certainly showed their appreciation bidding up strongly.

"It was a very buoyant market and I think producers were certainly happy today to pay more money for their rams based on where sheep and lamb prices are sitting and the future outlook.

"I think it would have to be one of the strongest sales the studs have had in their history."

Merino & Poll Merino

The Merino and Poll Merinos were the first offered and they filled the majority of pens in the shed.

In this side of the catalogue, four studs offered 224 rams backed by Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) and by the end of the run, 203 had sold under the hammer to a sale high $6200 and an average of $2264.

In comparison, last year 173 rams sold under the hammer from 212 offered at an average of $1434 and a top of $4100, which meant the average was up $830 and the number of rams sold was up 30 head.

The Vandenberghe family's Wattle Dale stud, Scaddan, may have sold in the middle of the Merino offering, but it was in this team where the $6200 top-priced ram was found.

The well-balanced Poll Merino ram, with a mix of positive carcase and wool traits in lot 117, attracted a spirited bidding melee between a number of interested buyers, before it was finally knocked down to long-time Wattle Dale buyers the Schutz family, Banksia Park Farming, Esperance.

The 90 kilogram, 20.6 micron ram (242186) had ASBVs of 31.16 for yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW), -2.48 yearling fibre diameter (YFD), 10.19 yearling weight (YWT), 2.23 yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD) and 0.98 yearling fat (YFAT), as well as indexes of 173.87 for Wool Production (WP) and 151.75 for Sustainable Merino (SM).

With these ASBVs, the ram ranks in the top 10pc on MerinoSelect for YCFW and YFD, top 20pc for YEMD, as well as the top 30pc for YWT, YFAT, plus the WP and SM indexes.

Jason Schutz said the ram stood out to them when they inspected the Wattle Dale sale team at the stud's on-property field day.

"We picked him out at the field day and were again impressed by him today," Mr Schutz said.

"It was his wool quality which we really liked."He has the white, bright, stylish crimped, long-stapled wool we like.

"He will match in really well with what we already have, as will the other rams we purchased from Wattle Dale today."

Along with securing the top-priced ram, the Schutz family purchased another four rams from the Wattle Dale line-up to finish with a team of five at an average of $3060.Among the other four rams purchased by the Schutz family was a sire at $3200 which had index values of 160.30 for WP and 136.86 for SM.

It is in the top 10pc on MerinoSelect for YFD and top 20pc for YWT.

This year the Schutz family is looking to join 1500 ewes to Poll Merino rams for an April lambing.

Generally they retain 50 per cent of their wether lambs and run them through to three and four-year-old for an additional wool income.

The second top price in the Wattle Dale run was $4300 and it was paid by return buyer Barrule Grazing Co, Kojonup, for an 86kg, 18.5 micron ram which is in the top 5pc for YCFW, top 10pc for YWT and the WP index and top 20pc for YFD.

Barrule Grazing Co also picked up another seven rams from the line-up to finish with a team of eight at an average of $1463.

Other return buyers to purchase at the top end of the Wattle Dale team were JC & TB Sullivan, Gibson, which purchased four rams to a top of $4000 and an average of $2200, while Laurina Farms, Esperance, purchased three to a high of $3200 and an average of $2600 and L & C O'Shannessy, Hyden, finished with four to a top of $3600 and an average of $1775.

The volume buyer under the hammer in the Wattle Dale offering was Propasco Investments Pty Ltd, Kalgoorlie, which secured 10 rams to a top of $3400 and an average of $1610.Not far behind Propasco Investments in terms of buying numbers from the Watte Dale team was the White family, WR White & Son, Dinninup, which has been buying from the stud for 20 plus years.

The Whites, who were looking for rams with nice white wools and a greasy tip due to shearing in March, purchased eight rams under the hammer to a high of $2600 and average of $1263, along with another two post sale that had earlier been passed in.

Wayne White said they liked buying from Wattle Dale as they have a wool type they like and also good fertility.

"The sheep also have good wool weights and good growth rates which gives us an option when it comes to turning our wethers off," Mr White said.

"For the past couple of years we have been able to put them through a feedlot and turn them off as lambs.

"Last year's lambs which were dropped in June we sold out of the feedlot in March/April."There were 850 of them and they went directly to V&V Walsh and averaged 23kg dressed."

This year the Whites are looking to join 2000 ewes to Merino rams and another 2500 Merino ewes to White Suffolk sires.

All up the Wattle Dale stud offered 80 Merino and Poll Merino rams and sold 62 under the hammer to 12 different buyers, for an average of $1574.

Last year the stud offered 80 rams and sold 70 for an average of $1309 and to a top of $3700.

The Welke family's Westwood stud, Cascade, was the first stud up to sell and had the equal biggest offering in this side of the catalogue, penning 80 Poll Merino rams.

Right from the first lot, the competition was red hot on the Westwood rams, with most lots seeing competition from two or three bidders, ensuring the sale got off to a flying start.

By the end of the run on the back of this strong bidding from new and old clients, the stud had cleared its entire team of 80 rams under the hammer to 17 buyers to a top of $5800 and an average of $2761, which was up $1044 on last year.

Last year the stud offered 80 rams and sold 75 to a top of $3800 twice and an average of $1717.Achieving the $5800 top price in the run was a long-bodied, free-growing ram carrying an extra long stapled, bold crimping wool in lot five when it was snapped up by clients of three years Roger and Joanne Nankivell, RA & JM Nankivell, Condingup.

Mr Nankivell said the ram stood out in the team and he liked everything about it.

"We went to the stud's on-property field day the week before the sale and had a good look over the rams and we picked this one out as he is a standout," Mr Nankivell said.

"He stands up well, has a good straight topline and a long-stapled quality wool.

"His wool is bright and white and he has a good even crimp all over."

The late March 2024-drop, double polled ram (PP) (240059), had last April wool test figures of 19.3 micron, 3.5 SD and 17.9 CV.

It has ASBVs of 33.42 YCFW, -0.40 YFD, 6.72 YWT, 0.54 YEMD and 0.08 YFAT as well as indexes of 188.73 for WP and 155.53 for SM.

With these ASBVs, the ram ranks in the top 10pc for YCFW and the WP index and top 20pc for the SM index.

The Nankivells will use the ram in their nucleus flock of 100 ewes to breed rams for their own use.

All up the Nankivells will join 1150 ewes to Poll Merino rams this season for an April/May lambing.

Mr Nankivell said it had been a challenge the past couple of years to get their lambs up to sell early due to the tough seasons.

"Our aim is to sell our lambs off stubbles to lotfeeders or finish them ourselves on feed and have them all gone by April/May," he said.

Not far behind in the price stakes in the Westwood team, selling at the stud's $5500 second top price was a bold crimping, long-stapled sire in lot eight (240257) by Leachim 2185, when it was knocked down to second year buyers Noel and Sandra Fowler, Rapanui Pastoral, Williams.

The double PP ram that had April wool figures of 16.2 micron, 2.6 SD and 16.4 CV, ranks in the top 5pc for the WP and SM indexes, top 10pc for YFD and top 20pc for YCFW.

This wasn't the only ram pencilled down to the Fowlers in the Westwood offering.

They were major supporters of the team bidding up strongly right through the offering to finish with a team of 25 rams at an average of $2940 to be easily the stud's biggest buyers.

The Fowler's team also included two other sires at more than $4000.

They went to $4600 for an Ejanding 5492 son which is in the top 10pc for YFD and $4400 for a Leachim 2083 son that ranks in the top 10pc for the WP and SM indexes as well as top 20pc for YFD and YWT.

Ms Fowler said when selecting their rams, they were looking for ones with good conformation and a good balance between carcase and wool traits.

This year the Fowlers are looking at joining 5000 ewes to Poll Merino rams and 2000 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams for a July lambing.

Mr Fowler said this number would be up on the past couple of years where they had only joined 5200 and 5400 ewes.

"We didn't join our maiden ewes the past two years and just ran them as dry sheep due to what was happening in the markets," he said.

"But this year they will be back in the system."

The Fowlers aim is to sell their Merino wether lambs to lotfeeders and to have them all gone by late January.

There were another two rams in the Westwood team to sell at $5000 or more.

Return buyers Leigh and Karina West, Karleigh Farms, Gibson, secured one of these at $5000 and it ranked in the top 20pc for YCFW as well as the WP and SM indexes.

The other buyer to go to $5000 for a ram as part of a team of three that averaged $3600 was first time buyer Redneval Grazing, Williams.

Redneval Grazing's selection at $5000, ranks in the top 5pc for post weaning weight and YWT and top 20pc for the SM index.Epasco Farms, Condingup, was again a strong supporter of the Westwood team, purchasing a dozen rams to a top of $4200 and an average of $2058, while the next biggest teams were purchased by TKO Farming, Cascade and Lortsim Pty Ltd, Cascade, which both went home with five rams each.

TKO Farming bid to a high of $4000 twice and averaged $2940 across its team, while Lortsim's team topped at $2100 and averaged $1700.

Other strong buyers in the run were Laurina Farms, which averaged $3825 across a team of four, while JC & TB Sullivan secured four at an average of $2950.

The Gibson family, Nairup stud, Munglinup, doubled the number of rams it offered this year, compared to last year and had no problems clearing them.

The stud put forward 24 Merino and Poll Merino rams for the buyers to choose from and by the end of the run they had all found new homes selling to nine buyers at a top of $5100 and average of $2075, which was up $458 on last year.

Last year the stud offered 12 rams and sold six for an average of $1617 and a top of $4100.

Topping the Nairnup team at $5100 was a well-grown, long-bodied, well-covered Poll Merino ram (240072) when it was clerked to Lance Norwood and family, Scaddan.

The 109kg, 21.7 micron, 98.9pc comfort factor (CF) ram has ASBVs of 10.28 for YCFW, 0.22 YFD, 4.78 YWT, -0.40 YEMD and -0.51 YFAT, as well as index values of 132.57 for WP and 121.66 for SM.Mr Norwood, who has been buying from Nairnup for 10 years, said he picked the ram out as it was a good early maturing type with good size and a good bodyweight.

"It also has good wool quality and wool cutting traits," Mr Norwood said.

"Since we have been on the Nairnup genetics I have been really happy with how we have been able to grow our lambs out and sell them at under 12 months of age."

The second top price in the Nairnup run and the highest price paid for a Merino ram in the sale was $4600 and it was bid by Westcoast Wool & Livestock, Esperance representative Sam Wakefield, who was bidding on behalf of Ryan and Dylan Norwood, Gens4, Scaddan, who were buying for the first time after a number of years absence.

At $4600, Mr Wakefield secured a 117.1kg ram which had wool figures of 20 micron and 99.9pc CF and raw scans of 4.2mm fat and 42mm eye muscle depth as a yearling.Along with this ram, Mr Wakefield purchased another six rams from the Nairnup team to finish with seven at an average of $2600, to be the volume buyer in the run.

Mr Wakefield said he was looking for rams for the Norwoods which were early maturing and had large frames and free-growing wools.

"It didn't matter if they were horned or polled, I just wanted the best rams," Mr Wakefield said.

This year the Scaddan enterprise will join 2000 ewes to Merino rams which Mr Wakefield said was an increase on previous years.

"They have decided to join more ewes this year to Merinos as they can see the value of breeding stock in the future, especially Merino ewes," Mr Wakefield said.

Other good supporters of the Nairnup team were AH Burton Farming, Ravensthorpe, which secured five rams to a top of $2000 and average of $1540, while Barney Downs Pastoral, Esperance, purchased three to a high of $2700 and an average of $1933 and Kincora Farming, Esperance, also picked up three for an average of $1533.

The Pengilly family, Penrose stud, Cascade, rounded out the Merino studs to offer and like the other three studs it also recorded an improved sale on last year.

Penrose offered 40 Poll Merino rams in the line-up and sold 37 under the hammer to 10 buyers to a high of $4200 and an average of $2465, which was up $1647 on last year.

In comparison, last year the stud cleared 22 rams under the hammer from its offering of 40 to a high of $1500 twice and an average of $818.

Leading the way in the Penrose team selling at $4200 was a well-balanced ram (240371), with Leachim bloodlines in its pedigree when it sold to five year clients Leigh and Karina West, Karleigh Farms.

The 85kg, PP ram had wool figures of 19.5 micron, 3.3 SD and 99.2pc CF to go with ASBVs of 28.7 YCFW (top 20pc), 8.1 YWT, 1.0 YFAT and 1.5 YEMD as well as indexes of 154 for SM (top 20pc) and 179 for WP (top 20pc).

Mr West said the ram had good shape and a good set of balanced figures.

"We will use him in our nucleus flock which consists of 250 to 300 ewes, to breed rams for our own use," Mr West said.

All up the Wests will join 1800 to 2000 ewes to Merino rams this year for a May lambing, which is up 500 head on last season as they have kept an extra mob in the system given the turn around in the markets.

For the past two years the Wests have sold their wether lambs as stores in October after shearing and they will be looking to do the same this year.

After buying a large team from Westwood, Noel and Sandra Fowler, Rapanui Pastoral, were also strong buyers in the Penrose run buying one of the stud's $4000 equal second top-priced rams.

At $4000 they secured a 92.5kg, 17.1 micron ram which ranks in the top 5pc for YCFW and the WP index as well as top 20pc for the SM index.

By the end of the run the Fowlers, who were buying from Penrose for the first time, had secured another 17 rams under the hammer to finish with a team of 18 at an average of $2683.

These additional 17 rams included nine between $3000 and $3800.Also going to $4000 for a Penrose sire was Penrose classer Bill Walker, Classings Pty Ltd, Murray Bridge, who was buying for Tatchbrook Farms, Arthur River.

Heading to Arthur River was a 91.5kg, 17.3 micron ram which is in the top 10pc for YCFW.

Another buyer at the top end of the Penrose prices was Worldbase Securities Pty Ltd, Salmon Gums, which purchased two rams to a top of $3800 and an average of $3500.

Return buyers of more than 10 years the Ietto family, Allannaluke Farms, Grass Patch, were again good supporters of the Penrose team purchasing six rams to a high of $2900 and an average of $2033.

Buying for the family were sisters Hannah and Allison who said they were looking for rams with good, square frames and good fleece weights.

White Suffolk

This year the British Breed side of the sale featured only White Suffolk rams which were presented by two studs and these saw more buyer competition compared to last year.

By the end of the run, the two studs had cleared 77 of the 91 rams offered to a top of $3600 and an average of $1379, which was up $570 on last year.

Last year the same two studs cleared 79 sires from 114 offered to a top of $1500 and an average of $809.Leading the way in the White Suffolk offering, the largest team and also selling the day's $3600 top-priced White Suffolk ram was the Welke family's Cascade stud, Cascade.

Recording the $3600 price tag was an upstanding, long-bodied ram (241087) when it was knocked down to the Kantara stud, Dumbleyung, in partnership with the Sandown stud, Perenjori.

The late June 2024-drop, twin born ram by Ashmore 221308 has ASBVs of 0.49 birthweight (BWT), 13.77 weaning weight (WWT), 21.53 post weaning weight (PWWT), 3.57 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD), -0.38 post weaning fat (PFAT), -0.04 intramuscular fat (IMF), 2.18 and shear force (SHRF5), as well as indexes of 167.15 for the terminal carcase production (TCP) and 169.19 for lamb eating quality (LEQ).

With these ASBVs the ram ranks in the top 5pc on LambPlan for WWT, PWWT, TCP and LEQ, top 10pc for PEMD and top 20pc for IMF.

Kantara stud principal Keith Ladyman, who wasn't at the sale but inspected the Cascade rams the week prior, said he was attracted to the ram for its bloodlines, high ASBVs and structural correctness.

"He is a good sized ram who is structurally very sound with a very good set of ASBVs," Mr Ladyman said.

"I also looked at what his ASBVs will be in the new system and they will be even better.

"I was also pretty keen on his bloodline as his sire has been used extensively in a number of big studs in the east and they wouldn't have used him if they hadn't done their homework."

Not far behind in the prices was another Ashmore 221308 twin born son (240973) which sold at $3400 to the Lynefield stud, Williams.

This ram ranks in the top 5pc for PWWT, PEMD, TCP and LEQ, as well as the top 10pc for WWT and top 20pc for SHRF5.

There were a number of buyers who purchased sizeable teams from the Cascade run and the largest of these was Epasco Farms, which secured 10 rams to a top of $1400 and an average of $1100.

The next largest buyers were the Walter family, TKO Farming and the Schutz family, Banksia Park Farming, which both secured nine rams.

The Walter family averaged $1044 over their team that topped at $1500, while the Schutz family's topped at $1600 twice and averaged $1578.

Jason Schutz said they were chasing White Suffolk rams with good carcases, as well as good growth ASBVs to join to 800 Merino ewes this year.

Rounding out the larger buyers in the offering was Horrocks, Bibra Lake, which secured seven to a high of $1700 four times and an average of $1543.

By the end of its run, the Cascade stud had cleared 55 rams from the 69 it offered to 13 buyers at an average of $1404, which was up $616 on last year.

Last year the stud sold 58 rams from 90 offered at an average of $788.

The other White Suffolk stud to offer rams was the MacDonald family's Macsfield stud, Condingup/Beaumont.

It offered 22 sires and sold them all to seven buyers to a top of $2400 and to an average of $1318, which was up $451.

Last year the stud sold 21 rams from 24 offered to a high of $1500 and an average of $867.

Topping the Macsfield team at $2400 was the stud's second ram offered, and it was purchased by the Fowler family, Chilwell, Condingup, which has been buying from the stud for five years.

The 125kg ram has ASBVs of 0.4 BWT, 10.09 WWT, 14.3 PWWT, 2.0 PEMD and 0.07 PFAT plus indexes of 139.88 for the TCP and 132.93 for the LEQ.

Along with securing the top-priced Macsfield ram, the Fowlers also purchased another seven rams from the offering, finishing with eight Macsfield sires at an average of $1538 to ensure they were the stud's volume buyer.

Simon Fowler said they were looking for structurally sound rams with good thick, long bodies and good feet.

"They need to be well-muscled, powerful sires," Mr Fowler said.

"We like the Macsfield rams as they breed good sucker lambs."

This year the Fowler family is aiming to join between 9000 and 10,000 Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams for a lambing starting in late March.

Their aim is to sell most of their White Suffolk cross lambs as suckers straight to the processors at 41-42kg liveweight and they want them all gone before November.

Already this year they have sold 1500 lambs as suckers at 22.5kg dressed.

Other buyers to bid up in the Macsfield offering were Epasco Farms which purchased four to a top of $1800 and an average of $1250, while AH Burton Farming and LJ & D Chapman & Co, Esperance, both purchased three rams at averages of $1067 and $1000 respectively.