Scotland calling: Macka's Angus secures Rawburn Aberdeen yearling bull

Salt Ash operation, Macka's Angus, has again turned to the home of Angus cattle to add another sire to the battery, purchasing a yearling bull from Rawburn Aberdeen Angus, Kelso, Scotland.

The operation, whose purchases have included the $360,000 Texas Thunderstruck, paid £34,125, or $70,330, for Rawburn Brigadoon A227, a March-2024 drop.

The bull's sire, Rawburn Loaded, has been influential within the Rawburn breeding program. In a statement, the stud said the sire transmitted high performance, maternal and feed efficiency to all his progeny.

Brigadoon's dam was a TC Stockman 365 daughter and out of the Nichols Bonnie line.

He had 14 estimated breeding values in the top 10 per cent of the breed, including the top 1pc for terminal index and self-replacing index, and +4.6 calving ease.

The stud said he converted 3.26 kilograms of dry matter to gain 1kg of bodyweight. He required approximately 25pc less dry matter of the average bull tested to gain the same weight.

John Elliot, Rawburn Aberdeen Angus, Kelso, Scotland, said he was the most complete bull the stud had bred.

"Very rarely you get a bull with his phenotype that also has his level of performance and exceptional feed efficiency," he said.

"We are delighted that he has been purchased by a program as ambitious as Macka's Angus who have already invested in many of the Rawburn herd's highest performance and most feed efficient genetics."

Robert Mackenzie, Macka's Angus, said the bull ticked all the boxes for the program with phenotype, pedigree, and performance.

"We are always searching the world for sires that suit our program, so when we find one we make sure we secure him," he said.

"His exceptional performance, coupled with his super sound structure, his outstanding feed efficiency data and unmatched maternal strength, was a must for us."

The fourth Rawburn Aberdeen Angus online sale took place from May 2 to 4 on MartEye, hosted in partnership with Dowbiggin Marketing and Halls Livestock and Machinery Sales.