Momentum was strong from the start to finish as demand outstripped supply

It was fast and furious bidding at the combined Yonga Downs and Kalagan White Suffolk ram sale at Broomehill last week, where prices were red hot from start to finish as demand outstripped supply.

On the back of record lamb prices in the past couple of months and an encouraging presale speech about the future of the industry from Nutrien Livestock auctioneer and Katanning agent Mark Warren, buyers showed their renewed confidence in the sheep industry, as they pursued the 92 well-bred White Suffolk sires backed by very good Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) on offer, with strong intent.

Throughout the hour-long sale, there was never a dip in momentum as buyers regularly started the bidding on the rams at $1500 and this saw the majority of the rams offered selling between $1500 and $2200.

With the bids flying in thick and fast for entirety of the sale from many directions, all Mr Warren and his clerks had to do was add them up and as a result by the end of the sale, they had cleared 91 of the 92 rams offered to 17 different buyers at an average of $1907 and a top of $2800 for a Yonga Downs sire.

Last year the two studs combined to offer and sell 100 rams to a top of $5100 and an average of $1390, which meant this year's average was up $517.

Mr Warren said overall it was a very strong sale and a great result for both studs.

"It was certainly a lot stronger than we expected and I think that is on the back of the past few months where the sheep market has risen strongly," Mr Warren said.

"I think this type of result won't be uncommon this year in sales and is an indication that sheep producers have confidence in the industry moving forward."

Yonga Downs

It was the faithful clientele of Yonga Downs stud principals Brenton and Harriet Addis, Broomehill, who were the first to show their supreme confidence in the industry and chased the rams best suited to their requirements.

With stiff competition from 14 different buyers on the 72 rams offered by Yonga Downs, the stud successfully cleared 71 sires under the hammer to a sale high $2800 and an average of $1952, which was up $537 on last year.

Last year the stud offered and sold 80 rams to a high of $5100 and an average of $1415.

Topping the Yonga Downs team at $2800, to everyone's surprise was an August-drop ram midway through the line-up in lot 38, when it was knocked down to return buyer, the Richardson family, Mianelup Grazing, Gnowangrup.

The upstanding, young ram (YD240195) expressed good growth for age and muscling and it was these traits which caught buyer Elliot Richardson's eye.

He said the ram had good length of body and squareness and was very smooth.

"He also shows good early maturity for his age and good muscling, which is important as that is what you get paid for," Mr Richardson said.

The ram, which is by Yonga Downs 210026, has ASBVs of 0.28 for birthweight (BWT), 10.54 weaning weight (WWT), 17.34 post weaning weight (PWWT), 0.16 post weaning fat (PFAT), 2.59 post weaning eye muscle depth (PEMD), 0.01 intra muscular fat (IMF) and -0.49 shear force (SF5) along indexes of 149.85 for Lamb Eating Quality (LEQ) and 150.49 for Terminal Carcase Production (TCP).

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

In addition to buying the top-priced sire, the Richardson family purchased another four Yonga Downs rams to finish with five at an average of $2500.

Included in these other four purchases was a ram at $2700, which was the equal second top price in the Yonga Downs run.

This ram has index values of 147.19 for LEQ and 148.96 for TCP and it ranks in the top 10pc for PFAT and top 20pc for PEMD.

Mr Richardson likes buying from Yonga Downs as the stud's rams have done well for him previously and he isn't afraid to buy at the top end.

"I certainly believe you get your money back when it comes to your lambs if you buy the top ones," he said.

This year the Richardsons will join 1000 Merino ewes, based on their own Mianelup stud bloodlines to White Suffolk rams for a mid-July-August lambing.

Mr Richardson said they put their White Suffolk cross lambs on to stubbles in December and run them there for a couple of months before they go into an onfarm feedlot for finishing.

"They usually go in the feedlot in March/April and then we sell them to WAMMCO over a couple of drafts in April/May," he said.

The other ram to sell in the Yonga Downs line-up at the $2700 equal second top price was purchased by returning buyer Tim Pyle, Millstream Pastoral, Manypeaks.

At $2700 Mr Pyle secured a June-drop YD230294 son (YD240074) which ranks in the top 5pc for WWT and PWWT, plus top 20pc for the LEQ and TCP indexes.

Also heading on Mr Pyle's ute back to Manypeaks were two other rams both at $2500.

When it came to buying numbers from Yonga Downs, the most influential was repeat client Capemont Farms, Katanning, which secured a team of 21 rams at an average of $1990 and to a top of $2500 paid for a ram with index values of 149.91 LEQ and 149.74 for TCP.

Another strong supporter of the line-up buying numbers was first-time buyer Colin Garnett, RJ Garnett & Son, Gnowangerup, who finished with nine rams at an average of $2078 and to a top of $2500 paid for a ram with indexes of 144.19 for LEQ and 147.77 for TCP.

Mr Garnett said when selecting his rams, he was looking at the main profit drivers including post weaning weight and weaning weight.

"They also had to have good length of body and good hindquarters," Mr Garnett said.

This year the Garnetts will join 1300 older Poll Merino ewes to White Suffolk rams for a May and a July lambing.

Other strong supporters of the Yonga Downs team were Mark Haynes & Co, Frankland River, which secured eight rams to a high of $2300 and an average of $1800, while RJ & AM Squibb, Tambellup, averaged $1571 over seven which topped at $2100.

Mr Warren believed it was best and most even yarding Yonga Downs principals Brenton and Harriet Addis had ever offered.

"The rams presented very well and were backed by very good figures," Mr Warren said.

"We saw strong buying support from new and old clients and this helped the sale start strongly and this strength continued right through the sale.

"The investment the Addis have put into their stud with genetics through the years is certainly paying off and they were rewarded today for their great line-up."

Kalagan

The 20 rams from the Kalagan stud, Denmark, rounded out the sale and they all found new selling to nine different buyers to a top of $2700 and an average of $1745, which was up $455 on last year.

Last year the stud offered and sold 20 rams to a high of $2100 and an average of $1290.

Topping the Kalagan run at $2700 was an upstanding, well-balanced sire with plenty of scale and thickness when it was knocked down to the Lamont family, MT Lamont & Co, Gnowangerup, who have purchased from the stud in the past.

Gavin Lamont said the ram was well-structured and well-balanced with a good set of figures.

"He is also nice and deep and has a good backend," Mr Lamont said.

The June drop-ram (K240056), which is by Bundara Downs 205690, has ASBVs of 0.31 BWT, 12.25 WWT, 19.88 PWWT, 0.78 PFAT, 2.90 PEMD, -0.46 IMF and 4.87 SF5 as well as indexes of 141.33 for LEQ and 147.57 for TCP.

With these values, the ram ranks in the top 5pc for WWT and PWWT plus top 10pc PFAT.

In addition to this ram, the Lamonts purchased another two rams from the Kalagan line-up to finish with three at an average of $2067 to go with one they purchased from Yonga Downs at $2600.

Mr Lamont said this year they were looking to join about 500 ewes to White Suffolk rams for an April lambing.

The next best price in the Kalagan team was $2300 and it was bid by Mr Garnett for the first Kalagan ram offered, which is a son of Kalagan 220158.

The ram ranks in the top 5pc for WWT and PWWT as well as top 10pc PFAT.

The volume buyer in the Kalagan offering was Nutrien Livestock Breeding Services manager and prime lamb genetics specialist, Roy Addis, who purchased five rams to a high of $2000 and an average of $1640 for return buyer Jokar Farming, Broomehill.

Mr Addis said he was looking for rams with high post weaning weights to join to Merino ewes.

Katanning-based Knowsley Grazing Co also just bought from the Kalagan line-up and secured four rams at average of $1800 and to a high of $2000.

Other multiple lot buyers from Kalagan were Woogenellup Estate, Mt Barker, which purchased two, both at $1900, after earlier purchasing two rams from Yonga Downs at a $1400 average, while Mark Haynes & Co added two Kalagan rams at a $1400 to its team of eight secured from Yonga Downs.

When it came to the Kalagan portion of the catalogue, Mr Warren said principals Josh and Leah Addis once again put forward 20 rams which showed excellent size and figures from their small stud flock and they saw good competition from buyers.

"The rams on offer from Kalagan continue to improve each year and are a credit to the stud," Mr Warren said.

"As the stud continues to grow we will no doubt see its offering increase."