Final result was well up on expectations for on-property sale at Nyabing

Buyers had to be on their game at last week's Chirniminup on-property Dohne ram sale at Nyabing, as competition was red hot from start to finish, pushing the prices to a high of $6400 and a record average of $2028.

The very even line-up of 192 rams, backed by some very good Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs), was well appreciated by a long list of return and new buyers, as they chased the wool and carcase attributes offered by the Chirniminup rams with gusto.

From the first to last pens, the buyers kept the Nutrien Livestock selling team, led by auctioneers Mark Warren and James Culleton, on their toes as they fielded bids from right round the shed, ensuring an unexpected outcome for all involved.

Sale summary

• (Under the hammer results)
• Offered: 192
• Sold: 188
• Top: $6400
• Gross: $381,300
• Average: $2028

The strong buying competition right through the catalogue, which included multiple bidders operating on most lots, meant the heat never came out of the sale and there were rams still making more than $2000 in the last few pens.

By the end of the sale, 35 different buyers from as far north as Badgingarra and Esperance in the east, had cleared 188 of the 192 rams offered under the hammer at an average of $2028, a new record for the stud.

The four passed in rams also quickly found homes after the sale, giving the stud a complete clearance.

Last year the stud offered 221 rams and sold 189 under the hammer at an average of $1574 and to a high of $2800 on three occasions.

Mr Warren said it was an extremely strong sale and the final result was well up on expectations.

"The offering was of outstanding quality and was very even," Mr Warren said.

"The rams all showed outstanding size, condition and wool quality and this helped attract strong buying support right through the catalogue.

"We saw strong buying from a long list of return clients plus a number of new buyers which is a credit to the Browne family on their dedication to their breeding program.

"Bidding was strong from start to finish which showed the evenness in the quality of line-up from lot one to lot 192.

"Buyers that didn't buy last year or bought reduced numbers due to a lack of confidence in the industry at the time returned this year and purchased strongly which was pleasing to see and I think this will be a trend we continue to see throughout the ram selling season going forward."

Equally as happy with the strong result was Chirniminup stud principal Rachel Browne, who said it was a great sale result in their 19th year of offering rams.

"I would like to thank all those who attended the sale for their particularly spirited bidding and support," Ms Browne said.

"I say it every year, that without our clients there is no future for the stud, and for their continued support I am truly grateful.

"It was fantastic to see so many young people in attendance and displaying a keen interest.

"This is a very encouraging sign for the future.

"It also pleased me to see that many clients came with a shortlist of rams based on information I provide prior to the sale, setting their breeding objectives on paper, then visually assessing that short list on sale day.

"It arms them with the knowledge that using ASBVs can really assist with ram selection, however, I cannot state enough that visual appraisal is also very important.

"I commend our clients on their understanding of Sheep Genetics Australia's ASBVs, the merit in using data and their ability to pick out the higher performing rams for their breeding objectives; with this being displayed with hot competition right throughout the sale."

The $6400 top price was set early when Mr Warren stood over a deep-bodied ram with good wool and carcase traits in lot three.

He took an opening bid of $2500 and from there the price raced up, before he finally knocked it down at $6400 to first time buyers Rex, Tracy, Trent and Tina Parsons, Jarramongup Farms Pty Ltd, Jerramungup.

Rex Parsons, who picked the ram out on the morning of the sale, said it showed very good breed traits.

"He has a good straight topline, good figures for both carcase and wool traits and a very nice white wool," Mr Parsons.

"It was his quality wool traits we were chasing particularly.

"We have been breeding Dohnes for 25 years and I think this ram is a very good example of the breed and is a credit to the Browne family."

The upstanding ram (243061), which showed depth and length in the pen, has ASBVs of 6.6 weaning weight (WWT), 8.1 post weaning weight (PWWT), 0.8 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD), 0.0 post weaning fat (PFAT), 13.9 yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW) and a Dohne Plus index of 168.5 to go with raw wool test figures of 18.0 micron and 66.8 per cent yield when tested at the beginning of May.

At these figures the ram is ranked in the top five per cent for WWT, top 10pc for PWWT and top top 20pc for YCFW and the Dohne Plus index.

Mr Parsons said the ram, which will be a new bloodline for their flock, will go over 60 to 70 ewes in their nucleus flock to breed rams for their own use.

"All up we join about 3000 Dohne ewes to Dohne rams for a July lambing and generally we sell most of our wether lambs and surplus ewe lambs as stores in February/March," Mr Parsons said.

"But we also do get a small percentage off as suckers in the late spring."

In addition to the top-priced ram, the Parsons also purchased a second ram from the catalogue at $2800.

The second top price was $5400 bid by third year buyers, the Smith family, DB & KA Smith, Pingrup.

The deep, square, 17.5 micron ram ranks in the top 5pc of the breed for WWT (7.6), PWWT (11.1), PFAT (0.7) and the Dohne Plus index (188.0) and top 20pc for PEMD (1.3).

Patrick Smith, who farms with his parents Doug and Kerry, said he liked the ram as it had a very good set of balanced figures across the board and a very high index.

"Physically he is a well rounded ram with good depth of body, a clean head and a strong wide stance," Mr Smith said.

"We want rams with a good rump, a large frame and good figures, especially for carcase traits and this ram ticks those boxes."

Along with purchasing the second top-priced ram, the Smith family also purchased two other rams at $3400 and $3000 which had indexes of 152.2 and 157.1 respectively.

This year the Smiths will join 150 Dohne ewes and 750 Merino ewes for an April lambing.

Mr Smith said since changing to using Dohne rams about three years ago, due to the uncertainty of the live export trade, they have noticed their lambs are quicker maturing but still maintain their fine lambs wool quality like Merino lambs.

"We are now selling our Dohne sired lambs in October to processors which was something we couldn't do previously with our Merino lambs," Mr Smith said.

The next best prices paid were $4400 and $4100 and bidding to these values was Tim Pyle, Millstream Pastoral, Manypeaks, who was the losing bidder on the top-priced ram.

At $4400, Mr Pyle secured a 17.9 micron, white woolled ram which ranks in the top 5pc for WWT (6.5) and PWWT (8.3)and top 10pc for the Dohne Plus index (177.1), while at $4100 he secured a 17.5 micron ram in the top 5pc for PWWT (8.6), PFAT (0.9 and the Dohne Plus index (180.7) and top 10pc for WWT (6.1) and PEMD (1.5).

But these weren't the Pyles' only purchases on the day, they also secured two other rams to finish with four at an average of $4000.

Mr Pyle said when selecting the rams he was looking for good examples of the Dohne breed, body thickness with good early growth.

"I didn't need to worry about wool quality as the wools across the whole team were very white and consistent," he said.

The Pyles, who have been running Dohnes for six to seven years, will use the rams in their nucleus flock of 250 ewes to breed rams for their own use.

In addition to their nucleus flock, the Pyles will this year join 5000 Dohne ewes to Dohne rams and another 5000 Dohne ewes to White Suffolk rams for a May/June lambing.

Mr Pyle said they liked the Dohne breed because of its early growth and ease of management and they were the main two reasons they made the change to it.

There multiple other buyers to bid up strongly for smaller teams and they included Mick and Rosie Lester, Windrock Ag, Jacup, which purchased three rams to a high of $3700 and an average of $2933, while AJ & RL Lester, Bremer Bay, averaged $2900 over a team of four that topped at $3400 and PW & LF Adams, Kukerin, went home with three to a high of $3000 and an average of $2733.

Other buyers in this category were AT Hood & Co, Wagin, that averaged $2625 over a team of four that topped at $3100, while return buyers Coolangatta Enterprises, Jingalup and Abban Farms, Kukerin, both averaged $2600.

Coolangatta Enterprises purchased six rams to a top of $3800 and Abban Farms, Karlgrain, secured five to a high of $3200.

The volume buyers by a country mile were return buyers Rhys and Vicki De Landgrafft and Rhys's brother Tyson, Kuliup Farms, Dunn Rock, who were chasing good all round types.

By the end of the sale they had 23 rams clerked to their account to a top of $2600 and average of $1848.

This season the De Landgrafft family is aiming to join 4500 to 5000 Dohne ewes all to Dohne rams for a May/June lambing.

Rhys De Landgrafft said they have been using Dohne rams for 14 to 15 years and like the breed for its do-ability and production traits.

"They also make good mothers and are easy-care," Mr De Landgrafft said.

"We try to sell our wether lambs as suckers and some of this year's lambs are not far off going now.

"We usually start selling in October and they are all gone by January."

There were two other buyers to secure double figured teams and they were AW Kowald & Co, Moojebing, which purchased 14 under the hammer to a top of $2800 and an average of $1621 and one of the passed in rams post sale, while MJ & L Mathwin, Kojonup, averaged $1092 over a team of 13 that topped at $1600.