THE first spring sale of sheep offered by Elders on behalf of clients in the Narrogin yards for a number of years last week, saw a pretty tidy run of 1.5-year-old ewes and wethers, along with shorn wether lambs, unshorn wether lambs and unshorn Suffolk cross lambs offered.
Unlike the past couple of weeks where sales at selling centres in the Upper Great Southern have seen large numbers of surplus sheep offered and strong widespread buying support, interest in the Narrogin sale was limited, to some degree, perhaps due to the smaller number of sheep being offered and two lines of advertised sheep being withdrawn.
All up in the sale seven clients offered just over 2500 young ewes which were followed by just over 600 young wethers from three clients.
The sale then rounded out with three lines of Merino wether lambs and two lines of crossbred lambs, totalling more than 1500 head, all from two clients.
There were 22 buyer registrations, however come the end of the sale, less than half of them had made purchases.
Elders sale auctioneer Dean Hubbard opened the offering with eight lines of 1.5yo ewes.
First up was 334 well-grown and presented, August shorn, Craigmore blood ewes from Ashley & Partners and they achieved the $160 top price when they were finally knocked down to Anthony Hallett, DM & JM Hallett, Boyup Brook.
Mr Hallett, who was accompanied by Brendon Mead, Elders Bridgetown, said they bought in replacement ewes for their 10,500 ewe flock which are joined to Poll Dorsets for White Suffolk rams for prime lamb production.
Next up was the last offering of ewes from RA Sprigg & Co, comprising 323 September shorn, Kingussie blood ewes.
They sold at $125 to JM Hebb & Co, Collie, who also paid $144 for 253 September shorn, Eastville Park blood ewes in from Illabunda Farming, Wickepin.
Later Mr Hebb picked up the last line of ewes offered, 281 September shorn, San-Mateo blood ewes from GD & FE Alcock, Cuballing.
The largest lined offered was 595 September shorn, Nepowie blood ewes from LD Kilpatrick & Co, which were offered on half or the lot basis, and at $145 the lot went to Elders Narrogin livestock manger Paul Keppel, who was bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client.
Mr Keppel also secured another line of 280 October shorn, Nepowie blood ewes from McDougall Bros, Tincurrin, at $130.
Elders Wickepin/Pingelly representative Jeff Brown also purchased when he bid on behalf of Elders Esperance to $140 to secure 319 June shorn, MPM blood ewes also offered by GD & FE Alcock, Cuballing.
The first line of 1.5yo wethers offered came from PD & DJ Taylor, Dudinin.
The line of 295 August shorn, Eastville Park blood wethers sold at $105 when they were knocked down to Chris French, who went on to buy the next line of 106 September shorn, Fern Park blood wethers from J & P Brown, Wickepin, at $95.
The final line of young wethers was offered by W & G Wilson and they saw their 217 head of September shorn, Nepowie blood wethers make $99 when they were sold to Alex Cant Trust, Kojonup.
The first line of Merino wether lambs were from McDougall Bros, Tincurrin, comprised of 486 head and sold at $93 to Landmark Bruce Rock agent Jarrad Hubbard.
The draft was shorn in October and based on Nepowie blood.
The following two wether lines were unshorn and of Kylie blood from Novadowns Pty Ltd.
The first line of 486 head went to Elders Moora at $88, while the second line of 519 head went the same way at the same price.
Novadowns Pty Ltd also offered the last two lines of lambs, which were both lines of unshorn, mixed sex, Suffolk cross lambs.
The first draft of 127 head was knocked down to Karma Downs, Narrogin, at $104, which also purchased the second draft of 117 head at $93.
