Mumblebone Merinos sell to five states as buyers chase dual-purpose rams

Dual-purpose types with data to match were in demand at the annual Mumblebone Merinos sale at Wuuluman on October 2, with rams selling across Australia.

All up, 290 of 299 rams averaged $3429. A further three lots sold afterwards.

The top-priced ram, Mumblebone 240679, was knocked down for $12,000 to The Trustee for Bullock Hills, bidding online from Woodanilling, WA.

The twin-born ram had Australian sheep breeding values in the top five per cent of the breed for early breech wrinkle (EBWR), weaning rate (WR), ewe rearing ability (ERA), late fleece rot (LFROT), late character, and yearling staple length (YSL).

The ram also ranked in the top 10pc for yearling fat (YFAT) and late colour (LCOL). It was the operation's sole purchase.

Bidding reached $10,000 for the second top-priced ram, Mumblebone 243030, which sold to JS Barnes and Co, Finley.

The single-born ram ranked in the top 5pc for yearling fecal egg count (YFEC), WR, ERA, LFROT, and the top 10pc for YSL, post-weaning weight (PWW), yearling weight (YWT), yearling eye muscle depth (YEMD) and condition score (CS).

The same operation also paid $9000 for Mumblebone 242754, a single born that ranked in the top 5pc for YFEC, LCOL, and LFROT, along with the top 10pc for intramuscular fat (IMF) YWT, YEMD, CS, EBWR, and ERA.

Also paying to $9000 was another WA enterprise in Frankland River Grazing, Frankland River. Mumblebone 240855, a twin born, ranked in the top 5pc for IMF and YSL, and the top 10pc for YFAT, CS, YFEC, and ERA.

Allan C Jacka and Son, Jamestown, SA, took home nine rams averaging $5444, paying to a top of $9000 for Mumblebone 242601.

The ram ranked in the top 5pc for 10 traits, including PWT, YWT, YFAT, YEMD, CS, YFEC, EBWR, WR, IMF, and yearling diameter coefficient of variation (YDCV), plus the top 10pc for ERA.

There were several return volume buyers operating. The Ridge family, Jandra Pastoral, Bourke, selected 23 rams to average $2413.

Angie and Mike Armstrong, Callubri Station, Nyngan, bought a draft of 20 to average $1925.

The Armstrongs run about 5000 ewes averaging 19 micron and have been buying at Mumblebone since 2017. Mr Armstrong said they were seeking rams with quality wool and good reproduction traits, with a focus on lamb survival.

Richard Dutton, Wellagalong, Bathurst, bought 13 rams averaging $3346.

Mr Dutton has about 7500 ewes averaging 17 micron and was seeking rams with carcase traits and staple length.

A new buyer for the stud was Wetheron Pastoral, Bothwell, Tasmania, which averaged $2833 for 15 rams.

Richard Ellis said the operation was changing its focus towards dual-purpose animals, and was looking for rams with fat, muscle and early growth. His flock was between 18 and 18.5 micron.

Bellevue Rural Enterprises, Tottenham, averaged $3000 for a draft of 14 rams. Dapper Pastoral Company, Goolma, selected 13, averaging $3769.

Uungula Pastoral Company, Wellington, averaged $3750 for 12 rams, while the Trevethan family, Corowa, averaged $2550 for 10.

Also buying 10 rams was John Bonnington and Company, Curban, to average $3650.

The Smith family, Walgett, selected nine averaging $5111, while MG, AL and SG O'Hara, Tottenham, also bought nine to average $3167.

The Gibbs family, Caniambo, bought nine to average $2667, as did online bidders, Finlay Family Partnership, Morven, Qld, to average $2778.

Return buyer Scott Brown, Trunkey Creek, selected six rams averaging $3500.

Chad Taylor, Mumblebone, said the stud had catalogued fewer rams given the tight season in many areas, but it was a fantastic result, and it was particularly pleasing to see interest from across the country.

"There was strong interest from Tassie and WA, which is unusual for our sale but great to see," he said.

"It was wonderful to see people buying the combination of data and phenotype.

"To me, dual-purpose covers the animal as well as the fleece. You need a high-value fleece on a really good doing animal, and that's what we're really putting together with the carcase and the growth and the welfare traits."

He said there had been a lot of focus on worm egg counts this year, with people also taking dag into account.

The stud had again made significant improvements, recording a further 6.3pc in overall genetic gain for the year, he said.

AWN and Elders conducted the sale with guest auctioneer Paul Dooley, Tamworth, and Martin Simmons, Elders, sharing the rostrum. AuctionsPlus provided the interface.