Lewisdale hits $9000 high

The Lewis family, of Lewisdale Poll Merino stud at Wickepin, held their 21st annual on-property ram sale on Saturday, resulting in a total clearance and a top-price of $9000 as many repeat clients returned for the dual-purpose genetics on offer from the renown stud.

The sale, conducted by Dyson Jones and Australian Wool Network, offered and sold 250 rams to an average price of $2582, up $233/head on last year when 220 rams sold for an average price of $2349.

Lewisdale stud co-principal Ray Lewis welcomed a big crowd to his Stud Park complex as he expressed the importance of the Merino industry gaining back the numbers after many ewe were sold into the Eastern States.

“Good carcase weights and fertility is the main driver of the industry,” he said.

First to be offered was a line-up of 10 August-shorn stud rams, with AWN auctioneer Don Morgan selling lot one, Lewisdale 1, for $9000 to repeat buyer Stephen Fowler, of Jumbuck Plains, in Esperance.

The 21.1 micron ram was the heaviest in the catalogue at 151kg and Lewisdale claimed a share of semen rights to the sire, but the Fowler family will take full possession after the collection.

Mr Fowler, who attended the sale with his daughter Olivia, secured four other stud rams and two March-shorn rams for a total average price of $4929.

“We selected for beautiful, well-nourished wools, with long staple and on big framed bodies,” he said.

“The rams will be used in our nucleus flock of 500 ewes to breed flock rams to put over our 15,500 commercial ewes.”

Mr Fowler said he was looking to gradually increase sheep numbers because of the strong values in sheep and wool.

Also buying off the top-line and securing a volume of 57 rams to a top-price of $4500, Esperance woolgrower and regular buyer Joe Della Vedova said he was selecting for safe rams.

“I was selecting for double income rams, with good carcase bodies and nutritious wool qualities,” he said.

“We will put the rams to work in our 12,000 head ewe flock, to breed self-replacing females with quality wool and good carcase types.”

The two Esperance buyers, who commuted to the sale together, left early in the morning with near zero temperatures, giving them further confidence in the sheep industry with frost a lingering threat to some cropping regions.

Also active through the entire catalogue, Mullewa woolgrower Fenton Dean, who trades as Sancta Monica Farms, secured 13 rams to a top of $3600 and average price of $3085.

“I was selecting rams with good size, with nutritious wools that carried good staple length,” he said.

There were 25 registered buyers, with the majority actively participating in the bidding.

Mr Morgan said the rams presented very well.

“They were a very even line-up,” he said.

Repeat buyer Bill Chisholm, of Ongerup, secured eight rams to a top of $4000 and average price of $3075. Also returning to the sale, Guy Bormolini, of Mount Walker who trades as Milanna Farms, secured 10 rams for an average price of $3000.

“My family has been buying Lewisdale rams for 40 years,” he said.

Lewisdale stud representative John Sherlock secured 10 rams for an average price of $2600 on behalf of long-time client John Sewell Family Trust, of Geraldton.

Bill and Don Handscombe, of Quairading, secured 26 rams for an average price of $2139.

Mr Lewis said he was pleased the sale was well supported by many return buyers who were vested in the sheep industry.

“They are holding on to their breeding ewes that have good fertility and carry long stapled wools,” he said.