One final sale after family's breeding journey started way back in 1968

It's the end of an era for the Bowen family, York, as it closes the gates on its renowned Mount Ronan White Suffolk and Maternal stud, with one final sale offering buyers a last chance to secure the prized genetics.

After more than 57 years of breeding commercial flock and stud rams, Guy Bowen has decided to hang up his boots after the 28th and final on-property sale on Tuesday, September 30.

On offer will be outstanding, high-production prime lamb genetics, backed by years of breeding experience.

Mount Ronan became involved in the LambPlan program, the Brucellosis Eradication program, and the Central Sire Progeny Testing program in the foundation years of each program.

Mr Bowen started his breeding journey with registered sheep as a 16-year-old in 1968 with the purchase of Shropshire ewes, before selling them in 1969 to finance the purchase and registration of a Suffolk flock.

In 1989, the Bowens registered and started the development of a White Suffolk flock, utilising Mount Ronan Suffolk genetics and selected Poll Dorset genetics from outside flocks.

From there, a specialist Maternal program was initiated in 2003 which involved the introduction of genetics from South Australia and New Zealand via embryo transfer.

Selected Mount Ronan White Suffolk genetics have since been the major contributor to this program which has produced outstanding commercial results in prime lamb enterprises, both in WA and in the Eastern States.

"My sheep breeding philosophy has always been based on outstanding female commercial performance, I've always valued that," Mr Bowen said.

"At Mount Ronan, I have carefully selected ewes for outstanding temperament and mothering ability, functional fertility, lambing ease and lamb awareness when birthing multiples.

"I believe that functional fertility is the genetic ability of the ewe to wean a higher percentage of lambs with higher individual body weights relative to her mating weight in the 100 day period after lambing.

"I have always identified and utilised those outstanding females to produce new sires from introduced genetics via artificial insemination."

Mr Bowen has always looked for sheep with an excellent balance between muscling and fast, early growth.

"Lambs possessing genes for fast, early growth, and high muscling, as well as genes for excellent eating quality and resilience under all commercial conditions will generally be slaughter-ready at all estimated carcase weights from 18 to 32 kilograms," Mr Bowen said.

Reflecting on his family's time breeding commercial rams, Mr Bowen said it had been memorable.

"Over the years we've developed valuable relationships with prime lamb producer clients, sheep industry researchers and other seedstock providers," he said.

"This has been a great experience.

"I remember back to when we were producing Suffolk rams and used to offer them in the large Northam multivendor sale.

"It was a time where Poll Dorsets were the more popular choice when it came to terminal sire selection.

"It was satisfying seeing our rams, which made up less than 10 per cent of the offering, consecutively achieve top price in the catalogue for a number of years."

It was in 1997 Mount Ronan held its first on-property ram sale after the Bowen family decided an on-property sale was considered a far better way to offer rams.

"This way we could put up rams with full objective measurement information available to our clients," Mr Bowen said.

"It also allowed for a more direct interface with producers."

The final sale will kick off at 1pm at 318 Wambyn Road, Inkpen.

"We will offer our usual number of rams," Mr Bowen said.

"It will be the last opportunity for clients to secure Mount Ronan genetics."

The Bowen family looks forward to catching up with its clients and providing the usual Mount Ronan after-sales service.

"We look forward to seeing all of our clients at our sale one last time," Mr Bowen said.

"We sold about 50pc of our stud ewes last year in a tight market, for very good prices.

"The remainder of the stud ewes will be available for purchase from this November onwards, after their lambs are weaned.

"In the future I'll still be involved in managing breeding programs for people who have purchased stud ewes from us in 2024, who live in South West WA and New South Wales."