‘Elite’ wool: Top ram goes for $3600 at Badgingarra’s Challara Poll Merino Stud
The “elite” wool and dual-purpose index of the top-selling ram at Badgingarra’s Challara Poll Merino Stud sale had the hammer slam down at $3600.
The animal, which was fourth in the catalogue, is off to Brad Eastough’s Northampton property, where he runs 4000 Merino ewes averaging 18 micron, on a mixed-farming enterprise. He also bought a second ram for $700.
Looking for very stylish, 17-18 micron wool, on a good sheep with a good carcase, Mr Eastough, who was at the September 15 sale with his son Seb, said the ram with 18.5 micron wool stood out among the rest.
“He has very elite wool on him — crimp, pure white, long staple — that’s why we chose him,” he said.
The Mid West farmer, who in Northampton, has been a long-time customer of Challara, with the bloodline for about 20 years.
“These sheep do really well in our country,” Mr Eastough said. “These will go over our best ewes at the end of October.”
Stud principal Peter Wilkinson said his family had worked hard over the past 30 years to breed the ideal dual-purpose sheep for the region’s coastal conditions, with a particular focus on fly-resistant wools.
“I believe we’ve come a long way with our genetic improvement, especially in the last 10 years,” he said.
“It doesn’t happen overnight.”
This year’s wet conditions have gone a way to prove that — with their wool in good shape despite clocking up 650mm of rainfall for the year already.
“We’ve had over our annual average rainfall now, so if they weren’t right in the wools, they’d be having fleece rot in the low-grade ewes and colour in the backline of the low-grade rams,” Mr Wilkinson said.
“Having white wools is even more important in this wet year.
“With traditional type of wools, we’d be chasing more fly-blown sheep.”
The sale, conducted by the Australian Wool Network, offered 103 rams, selling 91 to an average of $1316, down $153/head from last year’s sale, but up $194/head from 2020’s average price of $1122.
The numbers were down on last year’s 120 rams on offer, which Mr Wilkinson said was to maintain the quality and not “have rams in just for the sake of having rams in” and was pleased with how the sale went, despite the number of buyers being down.
Mr Wilkinson said they could have been close to a full clearance, but due to “unforeseen circumstances” including selling farms or reducing numbers, five of their long-term regular clients did not require rams.
The stud’s wool classer Bill Walker last year also bought a dozen for eastern states buyers, but due to his order being filled did not require rams this year.
Mr Wilkinson said he believed the stud was “underrated” for it’s genetic achievements, but locals who had tried and tested the animals knew their worth, with the breeder proud of their achievements in quality white wools, easy combing, fertility and dual purpose indexes.
“They know the sheep work for them,” he said.
The top-selling ram, sired by a Challara syndicate ram, boasted 18.5 micron wool and recorded Australian Sheep Breeding Values of 4.7 PWWT, 7.9 YWT, -0.1 YFAT, -0.1 YEMD, 23.0 YCFW, -34.7 WFEC and a 170 Merino DP+ index.
Mr Wilkinson said he believed the top ram “could have gone for double” if there were more ram breeders in attendance, but the family-run stud was not yet getting the recognition he believed it deserved.
“Our sheep are a bit different, we shear twice a year so some people get a bit scared about the longer wools, some people can get a bit scared about the open backs if there are some,” he said.
“To that I would say the benefits outweigh the costs.
“Among the benefits are white wools, ease of lambing, early maturity, fertility, the shearers love them and they are dual purpose so we get them away to the abattoirs and we’re not reliant on live export.”
It has seen many loyal buyers return year after year to keep with the bloodline.
The Kenny’s — who live 40km down the road — have been regulars at the sale for the past 15 years, with Thursday’s haul the third year in a row they have purchased 14 rams.
Todd Kenny, who was there with his father Andrew and Des Wilkinson, said they were looking for dual-purpose sheep with quality wool for their farm, where they run 6000 ewes, 1800 of which go to white Suffolk rams and the others to Challara rams.
“We were chasing 19 to 20 micron which there’s plenty of here,” he said.
“We do a few crosses as well so the dual purpose index is pretty important. . . that they’ve got the meat qualities that we’re chasing.”
Mr Kenny said they were targeting a strong general purpose index and micron compared to clean fleece weight.
They ended up purchasing 14 rams, to an average of $1535.
There was also a significant new buyer in the mix, purchasing 35 rams on the day, 15 during the sale and a further 18 privately.
“That’s huge for us,” Mr Wilkinson said. “We’re very grateful for the support they gave us — it makes a massive difference.”
Breed offered sold top-price average
Merino 8 5 $1200 $940
Poll Merino 95 86 $3600 $1338
Total 103 91 - $1316
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