Growing south-west Angus stud sells half of its bull offering to Gippsland
Willoughby Angus, Gnarwarre, held its autumn bull sale at the Ballarat saleyards on Friday, capitalising on the crowds from the earlier store sale.
The stud offered 16 Angus bulls and sold 10 for an average of $4222 and a top price of $5500.
The south-west stud sold nearly all of its bulls to South Gippsland thanks to one keen agent.
The top-priced bull, Lot 4, was a low birth weight heifer bull which was sought after by commercial operations in South Gippsland.
"That bull was out of a Stirling Pacific sire and out of Willoughby Premier Dream cow which we bought from the Premier [Angus Dispersal Sale] about three or four years ago," Willoughby stud principal Ken Wharton said.
Elders agent Jason Fry, Korumburra, purchased the bull alongside four others for four clients in South Gippsland.
"We were chasing the low birth weight bulls because my clients are planning to join a fair few heifers," Mr Fry said.
"A lot of my clients will join the heifers to nice bloodlines and sell them as pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers on AuctionsPlus."
Mr Fry said he had been working with Mr Wharton for about four years now.
"The time Ken spends on his genetics is incredible," he said.
"He's not just joining a flavour of the month bull, he matches the cow genetics to the bull genetics individually to get the best cross he can."
Of the 10 bulls sold, five went to South Gippsland, two were bought by HF Richardson, Geelong, one bull sold to Albury, NSW, and one stayed locally, bought by Elders Ballarat.
Willoughby has been operating for nearly 25 years and is slowing growing its program.
Mr Wharton said the move to hold the bull sale at the Ballarat saleyards came about last year when he found his on-property sale wasn't getting much traction.
"We sold here for the first time last year and it went well for us," he said.
"That was a good season though and this year is much tougher.
"It has been tough all around with water and feed and lots of people are selling off females too."
