Langi Kal Kal secures near full clearance for its 'best crop' of bulls ever

Langi Kal Kal Angus has secured an almost full clearance at its annual bull sale for its "best crop of bulls" ever.

The beef stud ran with the support of inmates at a low-security men's prison near the Grampians offered up 48 bulls at the Central Victorian Livestock Exchange at Mortlake on Wednesday.

The stud's bulls headed to a suite of new and repeat buyers with a strong clearance.

However, prices were back on the 2024 sale.

The stud sold 45 from the 48 bulls offered for an average of $6133 and to a top of $14,000.

This compared to last year's result where 48 bulls sold from 49 for an average of $8291 and to a top of $18,000.

Despite the drop in prices, Langi Kal Kal stud manager Kahn Jantzen, Trawalla, was pleased with the result, particularly given the dry conditions the region was experiencing.

"All in all, it was a positive sale where we had some new and repeat clients," he said.

"I was very pleased."

Mr Jantzan said some clients, who came to just buy the one bull, went home with three or four, due to their good buying value.

"The quality of the bulls was there," he said.

"They're probably the best crop of bulls we've ever had."

Beef farmers from Burrumbeet, Ballan, Kyneton, Kilmore and Warrnambool bought on the day.

The top-priced bull, Lot 14, was knocked down to repeat buyer Alison Bell, Kilmorey Pastoral, Woolsthorpe.

Ms Bell and her mother Beverley Kilmorey took home four bulls in total, including Lot 2, Lot 4, and Lot 30.

The sale-topper, sold for the sizzling $14,000, Langi Kal Kal Unit U356, was sired by Millah Murrah Powertrooper P15 and out of Langi Kal Kal P119.

The September 2023-drop bull recorded TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation figures of +6.0 square centimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of +2.2 kilograms, 200-day weight of +54kg, 400-day weight of +97kg and a 600-day weight of +120kg.

Ms Bell also bought the top-priced bull at the sale in 2024.

Mr Jantzan said it was a relief to see the bulls go to happy customers, given the current dry conditions and lack of feed in the Trawalla area.

"We're in drought conditions and we've basically been feeding out since June," he said.

The stud had fed out 3000 round bales of hay since November.

He said it was in these conditions where the Langi Kal Kal genetics really started to shine.

"I'm all about docility and longevity of the cattle, good doing cattle, proven cattle," he said.

"They show out in a tough season like this.

"They sustain their weight and condition."

Mr Jantzan said the bull's quality on sale day was a "testament" to these genetics as well as the care of the prisoners involved in raising them.

"They do the day to day farming duties," he said.

"They get involved in all our breeding and stock health programs and they take pride in what they're doing."

Nutrien agent Xavier Shanahan said the stud's clearance was "very good".

He said this was down to bulls' quality but also the "realistic" reserve price of $4000.

"It's the best run of bulls the stud has ever had," he said.

Mr Shanahan said 36 of the 45 bulls sold at the sale were purchased by Nutrien branches on behalf of a lot of repeat buyers.