Hazeldean Angus smashes 2024 result at historic woolshed in Tamworth
The Litchfield family had every reason to smile after they almost doubled last year's average at the Tamworth bull sale on Wednesday (August 13).
The historic Bective Station woodshed was transformed into a bustling auction house where all 57 bulls sold under the hammer to a top price of $20,000 twice, averaging $13,492.
Last year the sale top was $16,000, averaging $7650, with a 95pc clearance.
Buyers from the New England were particularly influential, with 33 per cent of the bulls going to the Walcha district, while another five went to the Armidale and Hillgrove districts.
Buyers of the equal top-priced bull were Rod and Will Nicholls, Ruby Hills Partnership, Walcha, who moved up from the Cooma district about six years ago when they bought Ruby Hills. They also brought with them their appreciation of Hazeldean genetics.
Rod Nicholls said the partnership was slowly transitioning out of sheep and focusing on Angus cattle. They bought five bulls, averaging $16,000.
The equal top-priced lot was the 860 kilogram, 24-month-old, Hazeldean U1204. Te Mania Qarara Q514 sired it out of a Hazeldean cow, sired by Glenloch-JK Makahu K615.
U1204 had an impressive bank of estimated breeding value (EBV) data. Four traits from the top five pc of the TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation (TACE), two from the top 10pc and two from the top 30pc.
The bull's birthweight BW EBV of +1 is a top five per cent EBV, and its milk at +25 falls into the same percentile. The heifer-suitable bull had already been used as a sire within the Hazeldean herd.
The other $20,000 bull was Hazeldean U1327, an 840kg son of Hazeldean Q1237 out of a Hazeldean cow, bought by Uloola Station, Ellerston, via Scone.
Station manager Matt Tullia said they had bought Hazeldean bulls before.
"We've already got an S, R and couple of Q bulls," he said."This bull will go straight in to the cow herd, we're a straight commercial herd breeding for the weaner market."
Another Walcha volume buyer was St Clair Pastoral, with four bulls to a top of $18,000 twice, averaging $15,000, while TP and JE Manning, Nowendoc, bought six bulls to a top of $16,000, averaging $13,000.
Rockvale Farms, Armidale, bought three bulls to a top of $14,000, averaging $11,333, while Springmount, Armidale bought two bulls for $14,000 each.
The Campbell Family Partnership, Goulburn, bought three bulls to a top of $16,000, averaging $13,000.
The selling agents were Nutrien Ag Solutions, with Matt Campion as the auctioneer. StockLive provided the online interface.
