117 years of breeding Merinos - and family shows no signs of slowing down
The Lefroy family celebrated the 75th anniversary of its annual Cranmore Merino and Poll Merino on-property ram sale at Walebing last week with a successful result.
In its 117th year of breeding Merinos, Cranmore is among the oldest Merino studs in Australia.
And in its diamond anniversary sale, the Lefroy family and the Cranmore team presented a quality catalogue of extensively measured, quality white woolled Merino and Poll Merino rams.
Cranmore's list of loyal long-time buyers joined some newer faces from throughout the local central, northern and coastal Midlands regions, Wheatbelt and as far south as Ravensthorpe and Kojonup, to support the Lefroy family for the milestone sale.
With many running more traditional sheep enterprises, woolgrowers in the Midlands region have been among the more impacted sheep producers in the State by government industry interference and low commodity prices, and combined with some challenging conditions in recent seasons, sheep numbers in the area have taken a hit.
But with buoyant sheep and lamb prices, a wool market continuing to trend north and a good season with potential to be even better with another finishing spring rain event, buyers bid with added intent throughout the sale with an eye to the future and returning positivity to the industry.
Solid bidding from start to finish saw the Nutrien Livestock team record a complete clearance of the 120 Merino and Poll Merino-ram catalogue for an overall average of $1907.
While numbers were fewer by 10 rams, all other sale indicators were up on last year's sale.
The overall average was stronger by $367 from last year where a total clearance of 130 rams sold for an average of $1540.
Broken down, 71 Poll Merino rams sold for a strong average of $2059, up $408 compared to last year's sale where 73 rams sold for an average of $1651.
Their horned stablemates saw 49 rams sell for an average of $1686, up $288 on last year where 57 rams sold for an average of $1398.
Nutrien Livestock auctioneer and Wongan Hills representative, Grant Lupton, said it was great to see return and new faces at the milestone sale for the Lefroy family.
"Congratulations to the Lefroy family, 75 years is quite an achievement in today's world," Mr Lupton said.
"We have seen a lot of studs come and go but the Lefroys have hung in there.
"And this is due to their good, solid client base that keeps coming back year after year.
"The clients in this area have been impacted quite severely by what's happened in the last couple of years with the way they have run their sheep and the industry they have been involved in.
"But it was noticeable the confidence returning as buyers started to bid and there were a lot of younger people looking at the ASBVs provided to make decisions to run their businesses better going forward.
"It shows the information provided by the Lefroy family for more than 10 years is being used and I think it will keep many of these people in the sheep industry."
Brendan Vanbeek, Koolena Farm, Gillingarra/Barberton and Matthew McKinley, DT & M McKinley, Moore Park Poll Dorset stud, Moora, often battle it out on the top-priced Poll Merino rams at the sale, with this year's sale following the script.
The Vanbeeks finished with a team of six Poll rams costing an average of $2933 and paid the $3900 top price again, while the McKinleys secured seven Poll rams for an average of $2843, which included the $3600 second top price.
The Vanbeeks paid the top price for lot nine containing a double polled ram sired by 22-0083, displaying early September wool tests of 15.8 micron and 15.8 CV, early June scan percentages (against team average) of 112pc body weight (BWT), 105pc eye muscle depth (EMD) and 113pc fat and late April greasy fleece weight (GFW) percentage of 103pc.
The top ram recorded ASBVs of 153.74 (top 20pc) Sustainable Merino Index (SM), 19.34 yearling clean fleece weight (YCFW), -1.26 yearling fibre diameter (YFD), 10.3 yearling weight (YWT), -0.05 yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD) and -0.19 yearling fat (YFAT).
The Vanbeek's next highest price of $3400 was paid for their final selection in lot 90.
The Vanbeeks have been buying rams at Cranmore for around 40 years and Mr Vanbeek said he was trying to push more wool cut with a focus on fat in his selections.
"Since we have been using ASBVs, we are trying to keep pace with the stud and get to a certain level," Mr Vanbeek said.
"We try to marry figures with the animal which can be difficult at times, so I look for a good even above average sheep, I can't go too high in one trait because I will compromise too much in something else."
Although final joining numbers are still to be determined, Mr Vanbeek said they would basically maintain their ewe numbers from last year with about 1200 spring shorn ewes joined to Merinos and 2000 classed out and cast for age ewes to White Suffolks to lamb at the start of June spread across their Mogumber, Gillingarra and Barberton properties.
"Not sure how many ewes we are going to cull for age this year," he said.
"We have about 400 replacements, we didn't class as hard on these hoggets, the wools looked awesome."
Like the Vanbeeks, the McKinleys saved their top bid for the very end when they paid the $3600 second top price for the final ram in the catalogue.
Standing in lot 120, the polled/horn ram sired by 22-0841 displayed wool tests of 16.8 micron and 17.1 CV, raw data of 112pc BWT, 100pc EMD and fat and 103pc GFW and ASBVs of 148.42 SM, 15.96 YCFW, -0.88 YFD, 12.48 YWT (top 10pc), 0.51 YEMD and -0.85 YFAT.
The McKinley's next highest price of $3300 was their first purchase in lot five.
Long-time buyers since 1986, the Humphry family, 'Pankee', GM Humphry & Co, Walebing, paid the $3500 third top price on their way to collecting a team of six Poll Merino rams and one Merino ram for an average of $2843.
The Humphry's top price also wasn't paid until deep into the catalogue for lot 98, a heavy cutting poll/horn ram by 22-0506 with wool tests of 19.1 micron and 15 CV, raw data of 99pc BWT, 105pc EMD, 119pc fat and 137pc GFW and ASBVs of 149.37 SM (top 30pc), 33.02 YCFW (top 10pc), 1.34 YFD, 9.16 YWT, 0.54 YEMD and 0.03 YFAT.
The McLean family, Banksia Downs Grazing Company, Coomberdale, also raised its sights in its selections with a team of seven Poll Merino rams averaging $2543, including the next highest price of $3400 twice.
Their top bids went to lot 74, a poll/horn ram by 22-0952 testing 17.7 micron and 16.6 CV, 121pc BWT, 112pc EMD, 103pc fat and 109pc GFW and ASBVs of 154.05 SM (top 30pc), 21.99 YCFW, -0.35 YFD, 12.76 YWT (top 10pc), -0.1 YEMD and -0.73 YFAT.
And lot 108, a double poll ram by 22-0831 testing 15.8 micron and 14.5 CV, 119pc BWT, 120pc EMD, 126pc fat and 103pc GFW and ASBVs of 150.67 SM (top 30pc), 6.76 YCFW, -1.49 YFD (top 30pc), 13.19 YWT (top 10pc), 0.9 YEMD and -0.06 YFAT.
Another long-time Cranmore buyer, the House family, Wong Wong Pastoral Company, Watheroo, through the bidding of Phil Martin, paid the $2900 top Merino ram price in its team of eight horned rams.
The top-priced ram penned in lot 40 was sired by 21-0910 and tested 17.6 micron and 17.9 CV, 111pc BWT, 97pc EMD, 100pc fat and 116pc GFW and ASBVs of 145.85 SM, 30.21 YCFW (top 30pc), -0.62 YFD, 7.91 YWT, -0.1 YEMD and -0.12 YFAT.
The volume buyers were long-time sale supporters for more than 40 years Richard Banks, Yolander Holdings, Kojonup and his niece Jodi Duncan, Urara Farms, Ravensthorpe.
Yolander Holdings built a team of 12 rams (eight Poll, four horn), paying to $2900 at an average of $2208, while Urara Farms' team of 10 rams (six horn, four Poll) averaged $1670 and cost to $2600.
Mr Banks, who farms with his son Todd and helped by daughter Sara, said they have maintained their ewe numbers and would join 5000 ewes in December for a mid-May to June lambing, with 2000-2500 ewes (depending on numbers) joined to Merino rams and the balance to terminal sires.
He said the Cranmore sheep were very reliable, true to type and predictable.
"We like using the ASBVs as a selection tool," Mr Banks said.
"We look for an overall easy care, easy maintenance sheep, not too plain and long staple length which is very good for the volume of wool and wool cut."
Several regular buyers accumulated the next highest numbers of seven rams each, including SW Richards & Co, Jurien Bay, Arrawarra Pty Ltd, Watheroo, Kenilworth Agriculture, Coomberdale and Ranfurly Agriculture, Moora.
