Manunda stud eyes Poll position at sale

Tammin farmers Luke and Scott Button have their eye on the prize as the upcoming ram selling season kicks off with one of WA’s major sheep shows and ram sales.

The Button brothers, of Manunda Poll Merino stud, will present a few top stud rams at the WA Sheep Expo and Ram Sale at Katanning on August 19 and 20.

The pair farm with their parents Wayne and Pippa Button.

One of the family’s best rams, Manunda 65, is destined to show well and will be offered for sale at Katanning.

His figures are impressive measuring 21.1 microns with a standard deviation of 2.8, coefficient of variation at 13.2 and a comfort factor of 99.1.

Manunda 65’s pedigree is also impressive, with a maternal grandsire back to Moorundie 347 and a paternal grandsire back to Banavie 333.

“Who knows, we could take out a broad ribbon and our ram could top the sale,” Scott said.

“Breeding top quality rams is an exciting progression for our stud.” Scott and Luke are both passionate about farming and after their April-start dry seeding program had finished, they turned their attention to sheep work.

“I would trade any day, 16-hour tractor work for sheep work,” Luke said.

The Buttons planted 1200ha of wheat, 400ha of lupins, 100ha of oats, 80ha of barley and they look after 3000 stud ewes.

There has been 190mm of rain since January making for a solid start to the season.

“The crops are looking great,” Scott said. “I don’t mind the work of a mixed farm, it is always interesting and makes for a good day’s work.”

Scott has been full-time on the farm for 15 years while Luke has now notched up seven years, with both returning to the farm after graduating from Guildford Grammar School.

Wayne Button, who is third generation at Manunda, said he was very proud that his sons took to sheep work.

“They are the future of the stud and Pippa and I give them our full support,” he said.