Kember family top Annual February Narrandera 1stX sale

The Kember family sold 165 1st Border Leicester/Merimo cross ewe lambs, June/July drop, Oct shorn for a sale top of $151-00 per/head

The $1600 top-priced ram at the Gleneith sale with livestock agent, David Hill, David Hill Livestock and Marketing, Albury; James Tierney, Elders Wagga Wagga; buyer, Greg Doyle, Inglemar Pastoral Company, Walbundrie, and Wes Kember, Gleneith stud, Ganmain.

$1600 top-priced ram at Gleneith sale

THE Kember family of Gleneith Border Leicester stud, Ganmain, couldn’t have written the script any better in the lead-up to their sixth annual on-property sale.

Before selling rams at their auction on Friday to a top of $1600, they hit the headlines for topping the renowned Narrandera first-cross ewe sale.
A line of impeccably bred young ewes climbed to $170 to set the scene perfectly.
Despite the lack of Merino ewes to join to Border Leicester rams, the sale achieved an average of $655 and the 75 rams sold in a 75 per cent clearance.

The average was up on last year’s result of $548.
Auctioneers, James Tierney, Elders Wagga Wagga, and Justin Buchanan, JL Buchanan and Company, Coleambally, sold the rams to a mix of new and repeat buyers.

Principal, Wes Kember, said he was pleased with the result and was encouraged by the positive interest, especially because of the low ewe
numbers and difficult season.

Buyer, Greg Doyle, Inglemar Pastoral Company, Walbundrie, has been buying Gleneith genetics for some time now to join to his Merinos to produce first-cross progeny.

He said the top-priced ram had excellent figures and was a “good clean wool sheep”.
He purchased four rams for an average of $1225.
And with lamb marking just finished on his southern NSW property he was pleased to pencil in a 130 per cent lambing.

This was achieved from Merino ewes which had been joined to the Border Leicesters.
Peter McCaig, “Hopevale”, Coolamon, bought eight rams to a top of $1250.
Wandara Limited, “Wandara”, Holbrook, paid $1100 for a ram with an index of $124.17.

Volume buyer, Ruby Park Pastoral Company, Collingullie, secured 13 rams to a top of $800.
Don Dyce Family Trust, Coolamon, bought six rams to a top of $700.

 

Early ewes catch the benefits
By NIKKI REYNOLDS - The Land Newspaper

GENETIC selection and management has allowed a
southern NSW first-cross ewe specialist to turn off joinable ewes earlier.

Because of the long timeframe involved in producing Border Leicester/Merino ewes to sell to restockers, Walbundrie grazier, Greg Doyle (pictured), Inglemar Pastoral Company, has adopted some strategies to reach sale faster. Using a large-framed
typical Riverina Merino ewe as the base and joining it to a high indexing SuperBorder ram allowed Mr Doyle to turn off highly sought after progeny.

Originally lambing took place at Walbundrie during June and July, but this had since been put back to August and September, so in effect the ewes were
often younger than their competitors in the saleyards. However, Mr Doyle said
the system was working and the sheep compared well to ewes which were in
fact older than them.

Mr Doyle said the program allowed the sheep to benefit from the feed flush in spring, and sheep would be run through spring twice before being sold to prime lamb producers. Mr Doyle said he was also pleased with the
results from the Border Leicester/Merino wether portion of his flock. The high-performing genetics had often allowed wethers to be turned off for market at 28-kilograms dressed weight at seven months of age.
 
 
Golden Rules

Careful genetic selection allows first-cross specialists to achieve high saleyard prices

Buyers of first-cross ewes want to purchase them at a joinable age

High indexing SuperBorder rams offer the figures and performance required in the current market

The enterprise involves long-term planning and starts with seeking high-performing large-framed Merino ewes

Be prepared to buy high-end Border Leicester sires

Work closely with a livestock agent to plan the timing and marketing of both ewes and wethers
 
GLORY days have arrived for Australia’s first-cross ewe producers responsible for the maternal genetics behind the burgeoning prime lamb industry.

Such specialist first-cross producers are enjoying record prices as they ride the wave of the nation’s climbing prime lamb values, and with as much as $200 a head this season for young Border Leicester/Merino females, the picture couldn’t look brighter.

However, the long timeframe involved in breeding the sought after first-cross was considered a process which required a near-perfect recipe. Compared to other farming enterprises, producing maternal sheep wasn’t always considered an attractive option. Seeking a combination of highly productive Merino ewe genetics and the best Border Leicester rams was just the start – throw seasonal conditions into the mix, lambing percentages, and a shrinking Merino flock, and the job looks even more challenging. In the far south of NSW, Greg Doyle, Inglemar Pastoral Company, Walbundrie, is one of the producers positioned to ride the wave of high prices.

He recently sold first-cross ewes at Corowa for $176 and was pleased with the result, however, achieving hefty returns was not without a solid plan which was put into place years before the hammer fell on his ewes. The search for productive, largeframed Merino ewes with a plain body took place a few years back and resulted in him acquiring genetics from Kerri-Kerri, Moulamein.

Now Kerri-Kerri Merino genetics form the foundation of the Inglemar flock and overall the ewes were achieving a whopping lambing percentage of 130 at marking. Combine this foundation with high-indexing rams from the Gleneith Border Leicester stud, Ganmain, and the bones of Mr Doyle’s operation were revealed. He said the sheep were on the right track with the genetics, but conceded the operation had been scaled back somewhat because of the ongoing drought.

Numbers of breeders were cut to 700 Merinos and in addition to the sheep he also ran a small amount of cattle to produce vealers.“I should be running at least 1200 ewes,” he said. The decision to specialise in firstcross ewes was cemented about 15 years ago and along the way livestock agent, David Hill, David Hill Livestock and Marketing, Albury, has watched the success.“The tops of Greg’s sheep are absolutely magnificent for their age, and they are showing all of the growth needed,” Mr Hill said. He said one of the keys to shortening up the time the ewes were on feed was by moving the lambing time and selling 13-month-old joinable ewes.

“It was our plan to shorten things up and give the ewes two springs and then sell them,” he said. Despite the fact the ewes were often a few months younger than their saleyard competition, Mr Hill said they were still ready to join and compared well in size and quality.
 

Narrandera hits $170
Nikki Reynolds - The land Newspaper, Thursday Sept 24th, 2009

The price spike for first cross ewes continued on Tuesday when a line of sheep hit $170 at Narrandera.

Despite the strength of the market overall, the values reached at the annual Narrandera first cross ewe sale, were not as high as the Temora sale, where ewes made a seasonal high of $192.

However, vendors and agents were pleased with the returns when about 12,000 head were sold across two locations in southern NSW.

The Bruckner family, "Gnadbro", Collingullie, sold 3500 first cross ewes in an on property auction which preceded the Narrandera sale....

..... At the Narrandera section of the sale, Landmark Narradera Principal, Greg Corbett, said the one-year-old ewes made good money to range from $140 to $170.

He said most of the buying strength came from the local region, including Griffith, Leeton, Barellan, Coleambally, Wagga Wagga and Albury.
There was also support from Wangaratta in Victoria.

The Kember family, "Pine Farm", Ganmain, topped the market with their 315 June/July 2008 drop, August shorn, Gleneith blood ewes.

Wes Kember said he was pleased with the values and had expected the ewes to make about $146 to $170.

The Kember Family sold a second pen of $120 first cross ewes for $146.

Rob Harper, "Cadell", Ariah Park, sold 218 first cross ewes, July/August 2008 drop, for $154.

Narrandera Sheep sale

A PENNING of 5000 first-cross ewes sold $10 to $15 dearer than the previous sale last Tuesday.

Competition was strong and spirited bidding was spurred on by 15 millimetres of rain on Monday night.

Landmark selling agent, Mick Martin, Narrandera, said the quality on condition of the sheep was excellent.

The ewes were April/May 2007 drop, shorn in August and sold from $110 to $149, averaging $120.

The draft of 200 July/August 2007 drop, August shorn, first-cross ewes, offered by Wes Kember, "Glenith", Ganmain, sold to $149, the top price of the sale.

Greg Graham, "Anglia:, Ganmain, sold 160 April/May 2007 drop, August shorn to $146, also selling a pen of 101 April/May 2007 drop, August shorn first-cross ewes, which sold for $136.

Barry harper, "Cadell", Ariah Park, sold 211 July/August 2007 drop, August shorn, first-cross ewes, for $144.

Col and Sue Durman, "Weeroona", Narrandera, sold 309 July/August 2007 drop, August shorn, first-cross ewes, for $136 and Mick and Liz Rava, "The Love", Grong Grong, sold 257 May/June 2007 drop, August shorn, first-cross ewes for $130.

 

A TopLot to Smile about.
The Weekly Times Nov 21, 2007 – Kim Woods

Specialist first cross ewe breeder Greg Doyle, couldn't top smiling after topping last week's Yarrawonga special sheep sale.

Mr Doyle had earlier sold his top maiden ewes in the paddock for $100, but received a $119 for a pen of 100 at Yarrawonga.

The August-September 2006-drop ewes were by Gleneith Super Boarder Rams and out of two-teater Keri-Keri merino ewes.

Greg's father, Kevin, started the specialist first cross ewe operation on their Walbundrie farm in 1956.

“The market was quiet for many years, but in the last 10-12 years it has fitted well with the improved store lamb market”, Greg said.

“I bought these ewes here today to sell as a deal on them fell through. They had been running on dry land Lucerne and averaged 60-70kg bodyweight”.

“I aim to breed bigger ewes, with a plainer body and head, and clean points…. I have kept 40 ewes for myself to join to White Suffolk rams”.

The wether lambs are sold over the hooks at an average carcass weight of 28kg.

Greg had hoped to receive $100 for the ewes, with anything over that being a bonus. “First-cross ewes have been selling well in recent sales as there is a shortage of sheep in the south and they are having a good season”, he said.

Gleneith Rams Average $950, top at $1750

The land – 10-18-10 – Nikki Allen

Wes Kember, his father, Will and son Nathan held their fourth Gleneith Border Leicester on-property sale on Friday, where selected rams reached a top of $1750 and averaged $950.

In the flock section, 61 rams sold to a top of $800 and returned an average of $511. In all, 81 rams averaged $620 for a 75 per cent clearance to return a gross of $50,200.

The average was down on last year's price of $808 for a mix of stud stock and flock rams, however Wes Kember said the overall result was better.

He was pleased with how the sale went considering the difficult seasonal conditions and said the support on the selected stud rams was good.

Elders Wagga Wagga auctioneer , James Tierney, sold most of the lots with assistance from Justin Buchanan, J.L Buchanan and Company, Coleambally.

Ross Lomas, Point Vale Border Leicester stud, Cavendish , Victoria , bought the top priced ram for $1750 after attending the Gleneith sale for the first time. The ram had an index figure of 117.5 and was sired by Wongajong 66-04.

Repeat purchaser, Inglemar Pastoral Company, “Carramar”, Walbundrie, bought three rams for an average of $1000.

Repeat buyer Robert Sheridan “ Woodstock ”, Nangus, bought six rams to atop of $900.

Tubbo Station, Darlington Point, bought 14 rams to a top $800.

 

Ganmain ewes top sale.
20.9.07, Article and Photo courtesy of The Land Newspaper. Nikki Allen

Three generations were on hand
to witness their sheep top the market
at the Narrandera annual first cross
ewe sale.

Will, together with son Wes and Grandson Nathan Kember, “Pine Farms”, Ganmain, were pleased when there ewes made $101.

They were the only sheep in the offering to break the $100 barrier, and although the value was back on last year result, they were satisfied with the price.

Wes Kember said the current seasonal conditions had to be taken into account when setting the target mark they hoped their ewes would meet.

“Considering the environment, I think we had a good sale”, he said.

Mr Kember estimated just three months ago- before the seasonal conditions started turning dry – that first cross ewes may have been worth up to $140.

He said the Narrandera sale was an important part of the program for the Ganmain operation and a special line of ewes was retained for the event each year.

“ we support the Narrandera sales at least twice a year”, he said.

Sale Report Gleneith Studs' 3rd Annual on property sale was held on Friday the 13th October at Gleneith Park. A very hot day with a NW wind which was indicative of the season. 62 of the 119 rams offered, sold to a top of $1500 with an average of $800. Lot 17 37-05 was sold to Tom and Ashley Corkhill of the Normanhurst Stud, Boorowa. The Top priced flock ram was lot 8, 102-05 which was sold to repeat buyer Greg Doyle of Walbundre. Other major buyers were Tubbo Station purchasing 10 rams and Kent and Boyd Steward, Grong Grong, purchasing 16 rams. Rams not sold at auction will now be sold by private treaty. Please call us with your ram requirements.
Wes and Julie weighing and tagging one of their stud Lambs. Birth weights and parent identification are done for every  stud animal on Gleneith.		Lamb and Mother are happily reunited after the tagging and weighing  process.
Will Kember in the yards inspecting some of the stud sires.		Wes and Will and the show team.
Sale rams ready to work.

The Kember Family sold 182 may/june 05 drop,November shorn, 1stX ewe lambs ,Sired by Gleneith $uperBorder$ at the Narrandera store sheep sale held today (14/2/06) for $133 per/head.

This was the top price paid on the day.