Sons of Texas Iceman top Wallawong Premium Beef Angus and Murray Grey sale
The capacity of embryo transfer was on show at the Wallawong Premium Beef sale at Gunnedah on July 3, as 14 lots bred from embryos from two females and sired by Texas Iceman R725, among the leading sales in the catalogue.
One of those bulls, Wallawong Uncle Sam U155, sired by Iceman R725 out of Wallawong Queen L27, was bought for $14,000 by agents Hourn and Bishop, Theodore, Queensland, for an unnamed client.
The stud principal, Lachlan James, said genetics on offer demonstrated the traits of shape, adequate fat cover and carcase attributes.
"As a general rule, the better bulls in the catalogue were better than the Angus breed average for eye muscle area (EMA) and had low birthweight estimated breeding values (EBVs) with tremendous carcase punch," he said.
U155, by Iceman R725 and out of Wallawong Queen L27, recorded +1.8 for birthweight, +45 for 200-day growth, +89 for 400-day and +118 for 600-day. It also recorded +7 EMA and +2.1 intramuscular fat.
The September-2023 drop, 760 kilograms, had a 38 centimetre scrotal circumference and was described in the catalogue as a heifer bull.
Wallangra Angus, Wandoan, Queensland, was a volume buyer with two bulls at $10,000 each and three heifers to a top of $4500, averaging $4000.
Wallangra's first bull, Wallawong Universal U137, was also by Iceman out of Wallawong Queen L27, while Millah Murrah Rembrandt R48 sired Wallangra Underdog U135, out of Woodbourn Queen F24.
The equal top-priced heifer was Wallawong Queen U154, by Iceman out of Queen L27.
The equal second top-priced Angus bull at $11,000 was an Iceman son, Wallawong Under The Radar U159, out of Queen L27. It was bought by another Queensland agent, RBV Rural Pty Ltd, Emerald, for an unnamed buyer.
KA Blanch, Cambewarra, Mullaley, bought the other $11,000 bull, Wallawong Undertaker U136, by Myers Fair-N-Square M39P out of Queen L27. Cambewarra bought a passed-in bull for $6000.
Karmoo Brahmans, Clermont, Qld, bought the $12,000 Murray Grey bull, Wallawong Taxi Rank T57. The October-2022 drop weighed 990kg and had a scrotal circumference of 39cm.
T57 measured +4.2 birthweight, +4 milk, and +3.4 EMA, along with 200-, 400- and 600-day growth +27, +41, +60, respectively.
Phil Harris, Rowena bought two Murray Grey bulls for $7000 and $8000.
Ashvell Murray Greys, Maitland, bought one Murray Grey heifer at auction for $3000, and two more passed-in lots for $3000.
Overall, 15 of 22 Angus bulls sold at auction, averaging $9533, with another two sold afterwards.
Seven of 11 Angus heifers, pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC), sold at auction for $4500 twice, averaging $3714. One heifer sold after auction.
Seven of 10 Murray Grey bulls sold to $12,000, averaging $7285. Only one of 10 PTIC Murray Grey heifers sold at auction for $3000, and two more sold after the auction for $3000 each.
The selling agents were Elders Gunnedah, and Paul Dooley, Tamworth, was the auctioneer. AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.
