A QUALITY line-up of breeding ewes and lambs offered by Westcoast Wool & Livestock in its seasonal sheep sale on AuctionsPlus last week attracted strong competition, selling to a top of $246.
In the sale the Westcoast Wool & Livestock team sold 6783 ewes and lambs from an offering of 7804 head for a sale gross of just over $1.2 million and an average of $177.45.
There was strong demand throughout the sale from Eastern States' buyers looking to restock and as a result the majority of the lines sold were purchased by New South Wales and Victorian buyers.
In the breakdown, the 2127 joined Merino ewes sold averaged $206.93, while 1160 Merino ewes lambs averaged $207.92 and 2717 Merino wethers lambs averaged $139.20.
A feature of the sale was the flock dispersal for the Wyatt family, ED & JA Wyatt, Pingaring, who offered 1009 joined Merino ewes, which had been bred from Haddon Rig and Strath-Haddon bloodlines and in more recent years Leovale blood.
It was in these lines the sale's top price was achieved when a draft 257 2.5-year-old ewes sold to $246 to a buyer based at Nhill, Victoria, who also went onto purchase the family's other three lines of joined ewes.
The Wyatt's draft of 262 1.5yo ewes sold for $240 and their 255-head of 3.5yo ewes made $222, while their line of 235 4.5yo ewes sold at $221.
All four lines were February shorn and had been running with Poll Merino rams from January 2 to until the day before delivery.
The Wyatts also sold a line of 750 Merino ewes lambs for $221 which were May/June 2019 drop and March shorn.
There were another four lines of joined ewes sold in the sale and the best price among these was $220 paid for a draft of 228 Prime SAMM 5yo (blue tag) ewes offered by GJ & M Read, Gingin.
The line was September shorn and had been running with White Suffolk rams from November 29 to March 21 continuously three per cent.
Also making more than $200 was a line of 403 4-5yo (black and blue tag) joined Poll Merino ewes from Southern Range, Southern Cross, when it sold for $205.
The Manunda blood ewes were September shorn and had been running with Manunda Poll Merino rams from November 20 to January 15.
Also selling ewes in the sale from Southern Cross was AM Granich, which offered two lines.
The Granichs sold 510 4yo (black tag), Woodyarrup blood ewes for $175 and 205 2yo (orange tag) Merino and first-cross Prime SAMM ewes for $164.
Both lines were late December shorn and had been running with Merino rams from November 14 to January 1.
Along with the Wyatt family's line of ewe lambs there were another two lines of ewe lambs offered in the sale and they were sought after by buyers.
Pingaring operation AT & FJ Stewart sold 410 Nepowie blood, April-June drop, February shorn ewe lambs at $184 and Wass Holdings Pty Ltd, Boyup Brook, sold 551 Harold Park, July-September drop, December shorn, Dohne ewe lambs for $170.50.
Wass Holdings also offered one of the five lines of wether lambs sold in the sale.
Its line of 706 December shorn, July-September drop Dohne lambs made $150.
The top price in the wether lambs lines was $158.50 paid for a draft of 411 Quailerup West blood Merino wether lambs from B & E Creek & Co, Boyup Brook.
The line had a liveweight of 39.6kg at assessment on March 5 and were November shorn.
Also making good money was a line of 567 Wiringa Park blood, September shorn wether lambs from ST & KN Garard, Pingaring, which sold at $153.
Kojonup operation Glenkeith Grazing Co rounded out the sale with two lines of June/July drop, November shorn wether lambs based on Moojepin MPM bloodlines.
They sold a draft of 443 head at $126 and 590 head at $109.