Moorunga Angus top bull heads to NSW buyer who already has his full brother
Moorunga Angus' top bull at its autumn sale went to a NSW beef operator who already had his full flush brother.
The Dromana stud sold a mix of bulls, joined heifers, maiden heifers, cow and calf units, and embryo and semen packages at a timed AuctionsPlus sale on Friday.
The sale saw a 94 per cent clearance across the board, with lots headed as far north as Queensland and NSW, coupled with plenty of local support.
Moorunga stud managers Glen and Susie Trout run the stud on behalf of owners John and Sue Matthies.
The farm manager duo invested heavily in some of the country's top Angus genetics in recent years and the results have now driven on the stud's performance.
Ms Trout said they were "really happy" with the sale, considering the seasonal conditions.
The top-priced bull, Lot 1, Moorunga Double Decker U082, was picked up by Andrew Muller, Borambola, NSW, for $8500.
The 920-kilogram, April 2023-drop bull was sired by Brown Double Decker 0004 and out of Texas Undine K546.
Mr Muller, a commercial beef farmer with 250 breeders, bought the bull's full flush brother at Moorunga's sale last year.
His new bull recorded TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation figures of +5.8 square centimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of +6.1kg, 200-day weight of +56kg, 400-day weight of +97kg and 600-day weight of +127kg.
Mr Muller said he was impressed with the performance of the bull's genetics in his first purchase last year and came back again for more.
"We're just concentrating on that cow and bull line," he said.
With two bulls of the exact same breeding, he felt he could now deliver more uniform and quality calves from his weaner operation.
Ms Trout said the top bull had been part of their show team last year.
"He was one of our better end bulls," she said.
She said the bull had power, depth and docility with great figures from one of the stud's best cow lines.
"He's just a real gentleman," she said.
In total, the stud sold four bulls from the six offered for an average of $7000 and to the top of $8500.
Most of the four went to repeat clients, according to Ms Trout.
The stud also sold six joined cow and calf pairs for an average of $5083 and to a top of $8000.
The top-priced cow and calf pair, Lot 8, Moorunga Eclypta T15 and calf MRN24V099, was bought by Lacey Millar, Drouin East, for her up-and-coming Angus stud.
The cow was also pregnancy tested back in calf to Texas Entice T571.
Ms Trout said the calves both at foot and inside the cow were a "real bonus".
Moorunga also sold four joined heifers for an average of $4375 and top of $6000.
The top-priced joined heifer, Lot 17, Moorunga Omnia U020, was bought by Grylls Cattle Company, Longwarry.
The stud sold nine unjoined heifers from 13 offered for an average of $2461 and to a top of $6000.
The top-priced unjoined heifer, Lot 31, Moorunga Undine V040, was bought by Renae Keith, Rosslyn, NSW.
The heifer had the same dam as the top-priced bull, Texas Undine K546.
"We've put her full sister into our show team as well," Ms Trout said.
"She's a pretty sweet heifer."
The stud had undertaken plenty of donor cow and embryo work in recent years, resulting in a sale which saw plenty of top genetics.
Elders studstock auctioneer Ryan Bajada said this meant the online sale offering was "very well accepted".
"I think it was a very, very good sale," he said.
He said the sale's clearance was exceptional.
"They haven't spared any expense when it comes to getting genetics," he said.
"It was a very interesting catalogue of cattle."
The stud also sold several lots of semen and embryo packages from some of its top bulls and cows.
