Rainbows Rest SheepMaster ram peaks at $8000

The second annual SheepMaster Mid West ram and ewe sale resulted in a new record $8000 top price for a Dongara-bred Rainbows Rest ram sold as an “outstanding sire”.

The sale, conducted by Elders and interfaced with AuctionsPlus, was held on October 7 at the Carnamah Ram Pavilion and offered 69 ewes from one vendor and 67 rams from three vendors.

All the ewes offered by Rainbows Rest stud were sold, including 20 head of 2021-drops and 49 head of 2022-drops, for a total average price of $1059/head.

The 51 rams offered by Rainbows Rest stud averaged $2580/head and the 14 rams offered by Mogumber Plains stud all sold to average prices of $1893, while three rams offered by Northern Valley stud were passed-in.

The sale topper, Rainbows Rest 111, was secured by WA-based Penagri Farms, a privately owned Australian company that was registered in February as part of PenAgri Group, an agri-food business.

This newly established group, lead by co-founder and managing director Greg Harvey, combines primary production, agri-technology and carbon sequestration with merchandising, marketing, processing and distribution — all to operate as a true ‘paddock to plate’ vertically integrated food operation.

The Penagri Farms representative who attended the sale secured a total of 24 Rainbows Rest rams for an average price of $2621, but was held to “corporate privacy” on how the rams would be used within the company.

The 96kg Rainbows Rest 111 was sold as an “outstanding ram” with a eye muscle depth of 38.5mm and a fat scan measurement of 5.1mm.

Penagri Farms also secured ten 2022-drop ewe lambs for $800/head.

The $3900 second top-priced ram, Rainbows Rest 125, was secured by repeat buyer John Cunningham of Morawa.

He was selecting for large body frames with heavier weights that was representative of high early growth rate with his selection of five rams for an average price of $2740.

The sale topper at 100kg scanned a 40mm EMD and a Fat of 7.1mm.

“We have been using SheepMaster rams over our flock of 1000 Dorper cross ewes for three years,” Mr Cunningham said.

“These types (SheepMaster) are better quality shedders.”

Mr Cunningham sold 600 lambs for $198/head earlier this year that averaged six months of age that dressed out at 23kg.

Repeat buyers Murray and Steve Maginis of Crystal Ridge in Kojonup secured a total of five rams to a top of $3500 and average price of $3300.

The Maginis family were first-time buyers last year opting to use the SheepMaster rams over UltraWhite ewes for easy management lamb production.

Also making a second appearance at the sale, Butt Farms director Steve Meerwald of The Lakes secured two Rainbows Rest rams and two Mogumber Plains rams to a top of $2900 and average price of $2275.

Mr Meerwald said he was selecting for diversity of genetics to put over pure SheepMaster ewes and a some crossbreds to increase the pure content.

“We marked 141 per cent lambs this year — they (SheepMaster) make great mothers,” he said.

“These sheep are an easy management process, particularly in summer.”

The ewe portion of the catalogue had 10 Rainbow Rest 2021-drops sold to a top of $1400/head as sold to Northampton clean-skin sheep producer Reg Teakle.

Mr Teakle secured a total of ten 2021-drop ewes and another 19 that were 2022-drop ewe lambs for an average price of $1107.

“I will put Australian White rams over these ewes to add to my Oakvale Brahman stud enterprise,” he said.

A pen of ten 2022-drop ewes by SheepMaster sire Monarch sold for $1100/head through AuctionsPlus to a NSW buyer.

Rainbows Rest stud purchased Monarch for $90,000 at last year’s national SheepMaster ram sale held near Albany.

The next WA SheepMaster sale will be held on November 4 at the National Elders SheepMaster Ram Sale in Elleker, near Albany.