Local AI breeding company secures five-figure bull at Alpine Angus bull sale
Alpine Angus sold bulls to a top of $30,000 at its on-property sale at Porepunkah in the state's north-east last week.
The sale sold 78 bulls from 90 offered for a clearance rate of 86 per cent and an average of $9377.
The sale topped at $30,000 for Lot 3 of the catalogue which was bought by artificial insemination cattle breeding company Agrigene at Wangaratta.
The top-priced bull, Alpine Goalkeeper U358, was a heavy-muscled Goalkeeper son out of a first-calving dam, whose sire Alpine Main Event Q192 was also a sought-after bloodline at the sale.
Agrigene general manager Chris McIlroy said the bull's data was "pretty unique".
"His data attracted us first but he had the phenotype to go with it," Mr McIlroy said.
"He had low birth weight and calving ease and growth in the top 1pc of the breed, as well as his carcase traits which were also in the top of the breed."
The bull will go into Agrigene's bull catalogue for 2025 to be offered as a semen sire to the industry.
Genetic lines proved to be a strong selling point of the sale with six brothers out of dam Alpine P354 averaging $16,000, including the second and third top-priced bulls, lots 13 and 14, which made $26,000 and $20,000 and were bought by Henshaw Angus, Kempsey, NSW, and a commercial operation at Inverloch, respectively.
Alpine stud manager Chris Oswin said while the stud's locality in a high-rainfall valley meant they had managed to avoid the worst of the ongoing dry conditions experienced by much of the state, seasonal conditions for many of their clients remained tough.
"We're in a valley here that has fared a lot better than other places season-wise," Mr Oswin said.
"Confidence in general is down though which is noticeable.
"The more feed you've got, generally the more confident you are, and feed has been tight for a lot of people.
"That and the volatility of prices is always hard to operate in but we're happy with the sale and grateful for the support we get."
Over 70pc of the bulls sold on the day went to returning clients.
George and Fiona Kucka, Allonby Angus, Guys Forest, purchased five bulls, and commercial operator Boyd McKinnon, Mount Gambier, SA, picked up eight bulls.
Several bulls also headed interstate to Wagga Wagga, NSW.
