'Good all-round bull' Southern Cross shoots to the top at Myanga Angus sale
Two-year-old bulls were met with good competition at the Myanga Angus Ball sale on Thursday, August 7, held on-property at Chatsbury, near Goulburn.
The sale reached a top of $15,000 for Myanga Southern Cross U193, who was bought by long-term clients of the stud, Omaru Pastoral, Binda.
Myanga stud principal Stephen Dunne said the young sire was a "good all-rounder bull", who was originally catalogued as lot 23, however was brought to the front of the sale due to increased interest.
He said the top-price bull's sire Ardrossan Southern Cross S362 was used extensively throughout the program.
Weighing 736 kilograms, the 23-month-old bull's scrotal circumference was 39 centimetres.
He ranked highly in his calving ease estimated breeding values (EBVs) being in the top five per cent of the breed for calving ease direct and calving ease daughters with figures of +8.9 and +8.8, respectively, while also being in the top 10pc for his gestation length figure of -7.8 and top 14pc for his birthweight figure of +2.
The young sire continued the high ranking EBVs through to his carcase data with his eye muscle area value of +13.4, ranking in the top 3pc, while his rib and rump fat figure of +1.5 and retail beef yield figure of +0.8 placed in the top 25 pc, along with his intramuscular fat figure of +3.2 which ranked in the top 30pc.
His selection indexes also reflected highly with both his Angus Breeding Index and Angus Breeding Low Feed Cost Index both being in the top 20pc with values of $238 and $395, respectively.
The Binda-based operation bought an additional two bulls for an average $9000.
There was one large volume buyer throughout the catalogue, Marcus Hadley, Rydal, who bought nine bulls for an average of $7000, with one bull being the second top-priced bull, Myanga Stoney U208, for $13,000.
The 23-month-old son of Stoney Point Quiche Q245 tipped the scales at 788kg, with a scrotal measurement of 40cm.
All his growth traits ranked highly with a 200-day figure of +67, placing him in the top 5pc, 400-day weight in the top 10pc with a value of +111, along with a 600-day figure of +140, placing him in the top 15pc.
His mature cow weight was in the top 8pc with a value of +139 and he was in the top 1pc for his mature body condition value +0.63.
Other volume buyers were Wicklow Properties, Roslyn, who bought four bulls for an average of $6500, while Narambulla Partnership, Carrick, took home three bulls for a top of $10,000 for an average of $7333.
Mr Dunne said he was pleased with the results of the sale, with many clients chasing bulls ready to go to work shortly.
"There were good comments regarding how well the bulls were presented, their genetics and their structure and stretch," he said.
Overall the 30 of the 40 bulls sold to a top of $15,000 for an average of $7366.
Nutrien Moss Vale conducted the sale with Tim Woodham as auctioneer, while AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.
