Poll Merino, in one of the early pens, set the tone for this on-property sale

Return buyers were out in force at last week's Woolkabin Merino and Poll Merino on-property ram sale at Woodanilling, pushing prices to a high of $5250 for a Poll Merino ram that was penned early in the team of well-grown, heavy cutting rams.

Right through the offering, buyers showed their belief in the Woolkabin genetics as they chased the rams that best fitted their breeding requirements from the rams offered, which was made up by almost 100 per cent Polls, with buyers delivering a positive result for the Patterson family.

Like in past years, the registered buyers' list not only featured producers from the local area, but a number from further afield including Moonyoonooka and Mingenew in the north, to Mollerin in the eastern Wheatbelt, highlighting that the Woolkabin bloodline can perform in a vast range of environments.

When the final ram was knocked down by Elders auctioneer, Nathan King, the stud had cleared 109 of 111 rams (109 Polls and two Merinos) it had offered under the hammer to 17 buyers for an average of $1389, which was up $8 on last year.

Last year the stud offered 127 rams and sold 118 to a high of $5300 and an average of $1381.

Sale Summary

• (Under the hammer results)
• Offered: 111
• Sold: 109
• Top: $5250
• Gross: $151,350
• Average: $1389

Elders stud stock sales specialist, Russell McKay, said the Pattersons presented a good line-up of rams which were all representative of the renowned Woolkabin type.

"The final sale result was slightly stronger than expected in terms of prices and clearance given the number of clients the stud has lost over the past few years," Mr McKay said.

"Woolkabin, like many studs, has been affected in the past couple of years as a result of their clients changing directions in their enterprises when it comes to their sheep, which makes it tough.

"We once again saw good buying support throughout the catalogue from long-term clients who have been buying for a number of generations.

"Rams sold not only to local buyers, but as far away as Mingenew and Moonyoonooka in the north and out to Karlgarin and Bencubbin in the eastern Wheatbelt, which shows the versatility of the Woolkabin genetics."

The catalogue kicked off with the stud's usual run of 16 March shorn, shed-prepared Poll Merino rams and it was early in these pens the day's $5250 top-priced ram was located.

When Mr King stood above an upstanding sire in lot two, buyers came to attention and bid strongly.

Securing the ram, which showed a good spring of rib, as well as length and depth of body, after some quick fire bidding, was client of close to 40 years, Doug Smith, DJ & KM Smith, Katanning.

Mr Smith said it was the ram's size and wool traits that appealed.

"He is a nice, big-framed ram and he has both wool quality and wool quantity," Mr Smith said.

"He ticked the boxes for me.

"We breed our own rams from a nucleus flock of 120 ewes, so he will be used in that."

The Glenlea Park blood ram weighed 132 kilogram ram at the end of August and had June wool figures of 20.4 micron, 3.4 SD, 16.8 CV and 99.3 per cent comfort factor (CF) to go with scans of 4.5mm for fat and 40.5mm for eye muscle depth (EMD).

Also heading to the Smith's property at $3200 was a 125kg March shorn, shed-prepared Poll Merino sire which had June wool figures of 19.3 micron, 2.9 SD, 15.1 CV and 99.8pc CF.

It had scans of 40mm for EMD and 3.7mm for fat.

All up the Smiths join 2200 ewes to Merino rams for an April lambing and at their recent July shearing their whole clip averaged 20.2 microns.

The Smiths weaned this year's drop of lambs at the beginning of July on to a fodder crop and recently sold 120 wether lambs from the drop in the saleyards for $194.

Mr Smith said they intend to shear the rest of their lambs in the near future and then turn them off when they get to weight.

The second top price for the day was $5000, bid by Woolkabin stud consultant Bruce Cameron, who was carrying a buying card for client of more than five years, Undaminda Farming Co, Mingenew.

Mr Cameron picked the ram out for its size and structure, as well as its wool quality for its size.

"He is a big, upstanding ram with a good constitution," Mr Cameron said.

"When it comes to his wool, it is a stylish, bold, medium wool type."

The March shorn, shed-prepared Poll Merino sire weighed in at 126kg at the end of August and had June wool figures of 20.2 micron, 2.6 SD, 12.9 CV and 99.8pc CF, along with scans of 41mm EMD and 5.3mm fat.

In addition to securing the second top-priced ram for the Mingenew-based enterprise, Mr Cameron purchased another seven Poll Merinos for it, with the team of eight averaging $2350.

The Undaminda Farming team also included a 119kg, 20.6 micron and 99.6pc CF March shorn Poll Merino ram which had scans of 37.5mm for EMD and 3.5mm for fat, at $3000.

Mr Cameron said with a good season in the Mingenew area, the enterprise was increasing its sheep numbers due to the positive outlook for the sheep industry.

There were a number of other buyers to secure Poll sires at $3000 or more during the auction and they included return buyers of more than 50 years, Tom and Murray Lloyd, FE & BJ Lloyd, Darkan, who purchased a sire at $3200.

At $3200, they went home with a 107kg ram which measured 19.8 micron, 2.8 SD, 14.3 CV and 99.7pc CF when tested in June.

Also securing rams in the price bracket was Rockyford Farm, Brookton, that paid $3100 for a Poll ram, which was part of a pair that averaged $2250, while Katanning-based client Girrawheen Investment, secured six Poll rams to a high of $3000 and an average of $1683.

The Baxter family, Nullawil Traders, Woodanilling, which has been buying from the stud for more than 35 years, was the day's biggest buyer.

Buyer Mal Baxter worked his way through the catalogue of rams and finished with 11 Poll rams, clerked to him to a high of $2000 on five occasions and an average of $1764.

Mr Baxter said the family continued to buy from Woolkabin over such a long period and the stud bred rams that had a good frame size and nice wools.

When selecting his rams, he was looking for good dual-purpose types.

"They had to have good sized frames and nice wools to match," Mr Baxter said.

This year the family is looking at joining 1700 ewes to Merino rams from Woolkabin, for a mid-June/July lambing and is hoping the sheep market remains strong after receiving an average of about $200 for last year's wether lambs, when they sold them in July to a processor and a lotfeeder.

There were three other buyers to secure double figure teams and going home with 10 Polls each.

Paying the highest average for its team was Wyarran Nominees, Gnowangerup, which operated through Mr McKay.

He secured 10 rams for the Gnowangerup account to a high of $1300 and an average of $930 and was focused on purchasing rams which had a good shape and high fleece weights.

The other two buyers to purchase 10 rams were Endamore Farms, Mollerin and Vancarla Farms, which both averaged $800 for their teams that were bought through Nutrien Livestock WA development manager - sheep and Merino genetics and Woolkabin classer, Mitchell Crosby.

Buyer since 2006, Maurice Shilcock, Pendlebury Farm, Kojonup, who likes the Woolkabin sheep for their body size and wool quality, also had an impact on the sale.

Mr Shilcock was wanting rams with fine, white, stylish wools suitable for the Kojonup area and he ended up with eight Polls to a high of $1700 and an average of $1350.

These rams will join his current sire battery at Kojonup and be joined to 1200 ewes this season.

Buying a similar number to Mr Shilcock and at a similar average were PJ Kenny & Co, Karlgarin, which secured eight Polls to a top of $1800 and an average of $1375, while AR McKenzie & Co, Northam, averaged $1357 over a team of seven Polls that topped at $1357.

The two Merino rams offered and sold in the sale, both made $800 and were purchased by Spring Gully Pastoral Co, Brookton, alongside four Polls that averaged $1125.