Woodyarrup Merino rams peak at $13,500

A Broomehill-bred Merino ram sold for the $13,500 top price at the Dewar family’s annual Woodyarrup Merino and Poll Merino Ram Sale when 252 rams were put up for auction.

The sale, conducted by Elders and interfaced with AuctionsPlus on October 4 resulted in 248 Merino and Poll Merino rams selling for a stud record average price of $2718/head, up $67 on last year when 249 rams sold for an average price of $2651.

The Merino catalogue offered 178 rams with 175 sold for an average price of $2847 and the Poll Merino offering of 74 rams resulted in 73 sold for an average price of $2411.

Woodyarrup stud principal Craig Dewar said he was pleased with the new record average result.

“It was a good yarding with exceptional valued rams for commercial producers,” he said.

“The Poll Merinos sold very well and the average price was well up on last year.”

Mr Dewar said it was an exciting time for the Merino industry, with rising input costs associated with cropping.

Repeat buyer Ben Doyle of Wylivere Farms in Corrigin, was on that same thought — the realism of high cropping input costs when selecting his number one pick in the catalogue.

He was looking for stylish white and crimpy wool on early growth frames which led the way to securing the $13,500 top-priced Merino ram — Woodyarrup 21-0265, a May-drop 19.1 micron March-shorn sired by Woodyarrup 15-1067.

The 113kg ram was thought to have the “best wool in the shed” and it also recorded the sale catalogue’s highest Australian Sheep Breeding Value Dual-Purpose Index of 202.44 which was in the top 5 per cent.

The sale topper also recorded other high ranking ASBVs including 7.15 PWWT, 8.21 YWT, -1.43 YFD, 30.43 YCFW, 30.07 ACFW and 191,8 MP+.

Mr Dewar said when he selected this best priced ram’s sire 15-1067 for stud duties it was based on the ram being another outstanding son of W 12-0175 that had a very high strike rate and throwed positive eye muscle depth and a negative breech wrinkle score.

“The sire of today’s top-priced ram had seven sons in the catalogue, with four in the first 10 lots,” he said.

Mr Doyle said he was satisfied with how Woodyarrup genetics had complemented his family’s 5000 self-replacing 19 micron ewe flock that was producing excellent stylish wool.

“We are now looking to add extra early growth rate and a bit of stretch to our wether lamb production to get them off quicker and heavier,” he said.

He secured two other Merino rams for $8,750 and $7,500, each from different Woodyarrup sires, with all three of his ram purchases intended to work in a 500 ewe nucleus to breed Wylivere Farms’ flock rams.

The Doyle’s $8750 ram, Woodyarrup 21-0321, was sired by W 17-1883 that was in the top five per cent for staple length (+6.4).

The $11,000 second top-priced ram, Woodyarrup 21-00277, a 19.4 micron Merino was secured by first time live-ram buyer Peter Capel of Bungulla Merino stud in Manilla, NSW.

After using a semen sire last year, Mr Capel said the resulting lamb-drop met his criteria for a return to the sale for a live ram purchase this year.

“My selection process worked off phenotype, good feet and legs with plenty of wool cut and balanced figures,” he said.

The $6000 top-priced Poll Merino ram, Woodyarrup P21-3177, was secured by account North Stirling Downs through Elders stud stock agent Russell McKay.

Mr Dewar said this ram was sired by GP 19-0101, a double polled tested ram that was selected for its excellent growth and fleece performance.

Narrogin woolgrower John Patmore of Springhill Farms, secured a total of 11 rams to a top of $4750 and average price of $3350.

Mr Patmore, who runs a 2200 self-replacing Merino ewe flock, said he was selecting for big-bodied rams that cut a lot of wool.

“We have the wool quality — just after more wool cut,” he said.

Volume and repeat buyer came from account Morgan Bros of Cranbrook that secured 17 rams to a top of $3500 and average price of $2806.

Helping to raise funds for breast cancer research and prostate cancer research, the Dewar family donated the proceeds of two rams “to support the cause” that sold for $2000 and $3000.