Diamond anniversary celebrations go off with a bang for long-term breeders
The Button family celebrated the diamond anniversary of its Manunda Poll Merino stud in fitting fashion, with a hugely successful result at its annual on-property ram sale at Tammin.
The stud's 75 year anniversary also coincided with the 20th anniversary of its annual on-property ram sale, with a large crowd turning out for the momentous sale.
The extensive catalogue of 239 April-June 2024-drop Poll Merino rams included a team of Belka Valley rams, after the Button family purchased the stud from the Jones family, Bruce Rock, earlier in the year.
In his sale opening address, Manunda stud co-principal Wayne Button was extremely humble when acknowledging his parents Roy and Joan and family, past and present clients, agents and classers for their efforts and support.
He said the Manunda stud was established by his grandfather in 1950 who came to WA from South Australia with a Collinsville background.
"In those days, Roy tells me it was difficult to find Collinsville blood in WA and had to travel to Wagin to Brockham and Loxley studs so my grandfather started a Collinsville stud here," Mr Button said.
"It is 75 years but also another start with the Belka Valley stud."
He said there are few buyer records for the stud's first 15-16 years, but since then, they have been fortunate to have some extremely long-standing clients.
"The Junk and the Dixon families have been buying for more than 60 years which is a phenomenal effort," he said.
"The Day, Fowler and Crogan families are all more than 50 years, the Della Boscas have been fantastic supporters and the Waters and Innes families are more than 40 years.
"We are very pleased to have this support and it allowed us to use the best genetics we could find."
Mr Button said they were indebted to their classers for their good sound advice, which has helped get them where they are today.
"Classers Ian Forbes, Ken Doncon had quite an influence, Nathan King who embedded the Haseley side of things which made us bigger and better - and more recently Mitchell Crosby.
"Thank you to Phil and Robyn Jones for the opportunity to purchase Belka Valley and we wish them all the best for the future.
"And thanks to Rex Luers and all the agents, we are really lucky to have agents of such calibre in the district."
Buyers were greeted with a quality, even sale team of extensively measured, productive, white Wheatbelt-woolled Poll Merino rams, reflecting the stud's significant genetic investment.
And with an air of renewed confidence from the large crowd of return and new buyers in the selling shed, buoyed by the widely favourable season in the central and eastern Wheatbelts, a rising wool market and already buoyant sheep and lamb prices, the stage was set for a positive result.
A couple of hours later, a memorable result came to fruition, with the Nutrien Livestock and Elders selling teams led by Nutrien Livestock auctioneer James Culleton, selling 235 Manunda and Belka Valley rams (98 per cent) at auction for an overall average of $1924.
Buoyant commercial bidding competition continued through to the final row of rams, reflecting both the depth of the catalogue, but also buyers' commitment to their sheep enterprises.
And with values ranging from $800, buyers of all budgets could fill their pre-mating requirements.
In the breakdown, a total clearance of 190 Manunda Poll Merino rams averaged $2031, which was up $171 on last year's sale where all 200 rams sold for an average of $1860.
The line-up of 49 Belka Valley rams saw 45 rams sell at auction for an average of $1471 and pleasingly for the Button family, Manunda and Belka Valley buyers operated in both sections respectively.
The sale leading team of 21 regulation February shorn rams attracted stud, nucleus and astute commercial bidding to get the sale off to a strong start, with the upstanding ram in lot five heading for stud duties when it was sold to the Johnston family's Merna stud, Quairading, for the $9100 top price.
The productive future stud sire was by Manunda 2775-304 and displayed August 19 wool tests of 20.7 micron, 3.6 SD, 17.6 CV and 99.4pc comfort factor.
Its raw data percentages measured against drop average were 121pc bodyweight (BWT), 143pc greasy fleece weight (GFW), 2.1pc eye muscle depth (EMD) and 3.9pc fat.
It recorded Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) of 7.35 weaning weight (WWT) (top 5pc), 10.12 yearling weight (YWT), 26.48 yearling greasy fleece weight (YGFW) (top 20pc), 33.01 yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW) (top 10pc) and 160.63 WP index.
Buyer Kaiden Johnston said it had been a number of years since their last Manunda sire infusion.
"The ram caught our eye when we first saw him at the Narrogin Long Wool Day in August," Mr Johnston said.
"A structurally sound ram with a pure sirey muzzle and rich lustrous wool."
The sale's $6100 second top price went to the March 27 shorn paddock run team leader in lot 22, with Mr Crosby placing the winning bid on behalf of Nick Wadlow, Old Ashrose stud, Hallett, South Australia.
The classy woolled big-framed ram was by Manunda 2775-304 and displayed wool tests of 21 micron, 3.2 SD, 15.1 CV and 99.7pc comfort factor with raw data percentages of 107pc BWT, 106.98pc GFW, 3.1pc EMD and 3.4pc fat.
The SA bound ram recorded ASBV performance figures of 6.26 WWT (top 20pc), 8.64 YWT, 22.27 YGFW, 23.77 YCFW, and 142.62 WP index.
Old Ashrose earlier purchased another Manunda 2775-304 son in lot two for the sale's $4100 third top price.
The February shorn ram recorded figures of 20.7 micron, 3.1 SD, 14.9 CV and 99.7pc comfort factor, with raw data percentages of 121.5pc BWT, 112.56pc GFW, 1.7pc EMD and 3.1pc fat and ASBVs of 5.93 WWT (top 20pc), 10.11 YWT, 18.24 YGFW, 21.68 YCFW, and 129.68 WP index.
Mr Crosby said Old Ashrose purchased a Manunda ram a couple of years ago which has done a fantastic job for them.
"Nick wanted to buy a couple of safe rams to keep the Manunda bloodline going for them," he said.
"Both rams are by Manunda 304, have good figures, structure, long stapled and well defined wool.
"And their top price being a paddock ram shows the depth of breeding at Manunda and their reinvestment into genetics and AI and ET programs."
Mr Crosby added the next highest priced ram of $4000 to his list of orders, with the paddock run ram by Collinsville Regal 'Fred' measuring 19.4 micron, 2.7 SD, 14.1 CV, 99.9pc CF, 103pc BWT, 106.98pc GFW, 6.1pc EMD and 3.2pc fat and ASBVs of 5.93 WWT (top 20pc), 7.84 YWT, 25.29 YGFW, 26.92 YCFW, and 153.3 WP index.
Mr Crosby was busy throughout the sale managing a few orders, including one which tallied 26 rams and six rams, costing to $3200 and averaging $2783 for Rossdean Partners, Nyabing.
DO Cail, Kalannie, returned this year to stock up on another large team of Manunda rams and finished the sale with 15 rams at good value averaging $973.
The Cails have been buying at Manunda for 15 years after first seeing their sheep on display at the Dowerin Machinery Field Days.
They are set to join about 1500 February shorn ewes on January 1.
Regular buyer of numbers at strong values KJ & RP Siegert, Wongan Hills, built a team of 12 rams paying to a $3600 top price for a Manunda 2775-304 son and averaged $2542.
Whitfield Trading Company, Konnongorring, also secured 12 rams (including two Belka Valley rams) and other larger teams of Manunda rams included KL Tippett & Co, Shackleton, 10 rams, GA & AP Morgan, Kellerberrin, nine rams to a $3600 top for a Manunda 731 son and averaged $2057, and KL Clarke, Goomalling, eight rams for a healthy $2850 average, paying to a $3700 top for a Manunda Benny 579 son.
The $3400 top-priced Belka Valley ram was knocked down to 12-year Belka Valley buyer Nick Spark, D & MA Spark, Bonnie Rock, who finished the sale with a team of seven Belka Valley rams for an average of $2329.
His top bid went to the first of the late March shorn paddock run rams which had plenty of admirers.
The Angenup sired ram displayed wool tests of 19.5 micron, 3.4 SD, 17.3 CV and 99.3pc comfort factor with raw data percentages of 105pc BWT, 128pc GFW, 3pc EMD and 2.9pc fat.
The Spark family will join 2000 ewes on December 1 with 1500 going to Merino rams.
Mr Spark said he was chasing the Poll Boonoke Forbes and Angenup bloodlines in the new ram team to go over their ewe hoggets.
He said he selected his rams predominantly for wool and depth of body, and "long stapled, freer growing, well nourished crimpy wools with body depth and the Belka Valley rams have these traits," he said.
"We have built up the size and depth of our sheep over the years using Belka Valley rams."
Other stronger buyers of Belka Valley rams were CB Flintham & Co, Merredin, six rams, Edmundsbury Farms, Merredin, five rams and Hilltop Farm, Tammin, with eight rams including five Belka Valleys.
