GREAT interest from stud and commercial clients from across Australia ensured full clearance of 260 rams at the Brooks’ family’s annual East Bungaree on-property sale at Hallett on Tuesday last week.
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A healthy average of $1932 was achieved and the top of $14,000 was reached twice.
Buying both top price rams was sheep industry consultant Courtney Sutherland, Wagin, WA.
Mr Sutherland bought a $14,000 Merino ram on behalf of the Kirby family, Dudinin, WA. The ram was sired by Buddy and weighed 110 kilograms. Its fleece was 19.1 micron, with 3.3 standard deviation, 17.3 coefficient of variation and 99.5 per cent comfort factor.
Mr Sutherland said the Kirby family – who were first-time buyers at East Bungaree – were chasing meat value, coupled with outstanding wool.
“To find a ram with such amazing, rich, heavy-cutting wool, on top of that shape and muscle, it’s a rare combination,” he said.
The other top price ram was a Poll Merino, bought by Mr Sutherland for the Belmont Park stud, Wagin.
“Belmont Park have been the underbidders on the top rams at East Bungaree for the past three years,” he said.
“They have used East Bungaree genetics in the past and they liked the make, the shape and the correctness this ram has got.
“It’s also got amazing, soft-handling wool, it’s a pretty special ram.”
The Poll Merino weighed 110kg, with 17.7M fleece, 2.5SD, 14.1CV and 100CF.
Mr Sutherland also bought 12 rams on behalf of commercial clients out of WA.
He said East Bungaree’s genetics really proved its worth in a year like this.
“When you look at commercial producers using East Bungaree genetics, particularly in the western areas of NSW, for those guys to be able to maintain their stock and profitability in harsh conditions, it says a lot about the sheep,” he said.
“Tony and Mark believe in breeding sheep to withstand bad seasons, as well as perform in good conditions, because it’s vital for producers that they can get through those dry times.”
Stud interest came from Graham Kellock and David Hill, of the Old Kelvale stud, Burra.
They bought a Poll Merino for $10,000 that weighed 116kg, with 21.1M fleece, 2.9SD, 13.7CV and 99.5CF.
Mr Kellock said it was a very well-balanced sheep.
“The quality of its wool stands out, it’s got beautiful wool, on a very good body,” he said.
Zetco Pastoral Enterprise, Walgett, NSW, bought from East Bungaree for the first time last year and returned to purchase 12 rams to $3800, averaging $1766.
New buyers JS&JG Krause, Palmer, took five rams to $2400, averaging $1880, while another new purchaser Williams Trading Trust, Marrabel, bought five to $3000, averaging $2280.
Pastoral buyers included Dalwoodman, via Wentworth, NSW, with 15 rams to $2000, averaging $1593, and Top Hut Banoon, via Pooncarie, NSW, with six to $2600, averaging $2133.
Tony Brooks said to gain 10 new clients and attract 50 bidding registrations in a year such as this one was very pleasing.
“A lot of our pastoral clients couldn’t operate because of the season, but despite that the sale had a great result,” he said. “I think that shows the depth of our breeding, the quality of our sheep and that our program is working.”
Ceduna buyer
MARAMVILLE stud principal Mark Hoffrichter, Ceduna, has bought the sale-topping ram at East Bungaree in the past and he returned this year to compete on the top-end of the catalogue.
He purchased a Poll Merino ram at $12,000 that weighed 118 kilograms and had 19.5 micron wool, with 2.8 standard deviation, 14.4 coefficient of variation and 99.9 per cent comfort factor.
Mr Hoffrichter said the ram would be going into stud duties back home.
“I really liked it’s wool quality and its length,” he said. “It’s a big, square, long ram.”
Mr Hoffrichter said he kept returning to East Bungaree because of the quality it offered.
“East Bungaree rams do well in our country,” he said.
Regular buyers offering strong support were John Rowe and Daniel Hatcher, The Oaks, Hawker, with 20 rams to $2000, averaging $1525.
The major volume buyers came out of the Port Augusta region, with Moonarie Station buying 35 rams to $1400, averaging $1022 and Wartaka Station, 37 rams to $1300, averaging $1036.
Robindi Holdings, Wilmington, bought three rams to $2000, averaging $1833, while Penna Bros, Mount Wedge, took four to $2000, averaging $1900.
The sale was conducted by Elders, with Tony Wetherall, Tom Penna and Damien Webb sharing auctioneering duties.
Mr Wetherall said East Bungaree influenced many flocks around Australia.
“To have the evenness, the type and the genetic potential in 260 rams offered is amazing,” he said.
Mr Penna said the quality was improving each year at East Bungaree.
“To be able to offer 260 top productive sheep is a credit to the stud,” he said.
“East Bungaree have worked hard on their ewe flock and investing in the right genetics, and it shows.
“It was a really pleasing sale, especially as a lot of pastoral clients were restricted in what they could do. But there was new buying enquiry from WA that filled the void easily.”
