Branded beef bullock supplier pushes Remolea Unbranded to a top bull price

The chase for both eating quality and production benefits drove the purchase of the top-priced bull at the 2025 Remolea Poll Hereford bull sale, with Blackall bullock fattener Chris Kemp paying $16,000 for Remolea Unbranded U123.

In the on-property sale at Ellangowan on Friday, August 29, the O'Leary family stud sold 36 of 53 bulls offered sold to an average $8333, with a number of the remaining bulls selling for $6000 each afterwards.

The top-priced lot was a homozygous polled bull boasting high growth, milk and scrotal size. He is in the top 3 per cent of the breed for intramuscular fat, with an eye muscle area measuring 130 square centimetres.

Unbranded is a son of Tobruk Quinn Q006, who ranks in the top 1pc for IMF and has sent sons as far afield as Western Australia.

Mr Kemp runs Hereford bulls over Santa Gertrudis cows and then uses black bulls over the Santa-Hereford cows at Milparinka.

Trading under Eungy Pastoral Company, he took five bulls to an average $11,200.

Milparinka turns off grass-fattened European Union-accredited bullocks at 30-32 months, average weight 380-400 kilograms dressed, to NH Food's Nature Fresh brand.

"To get a good Meat Standards Australia grading you need good intramuscular fat and rib fat but we also need cattle that can perform in our country," he said.

"We run around 25 Hereford bulls and they are all Remolea."

As one of Nature Fresh's first suppliers, he says supplying into a branded beef program gives him, on average, a 50c to 100c/kg premium.

2025 marked a new chapter for Remolea, with the next generation, Pat and Chloe O'Leary, purchasing into the farm alongside Hilary and Dot.

The top price was a lift on last year's top of $14,000, which was reached twice, and average of $7674 for 46 bulls sold from 52.

Buyers came from throughout the Darling Downs, into central Queensland, the northern parts of NSW and even Bairnsdale in Victoria.

The McKenchnie family, St George, also took five bulls to an average $7800.

Scott and Karen McKechnie run a commercial operation with son Lachie and his wife Bonnie stepping up their participation more in recent years.

They run predominantly Droughtmaster and Santa Gertrudis females and are looking to introduce more Hereford content.

"We want to breed a crossbred animal that can thrive in both western breeding country around Adavale and do well on our backgrounding country near St George; and also have the ability to be supply the feedlot market," Bonnie McKenchnie said.

"We were looking for heifer bulls today because we are planning a large-scale artificial insemination program on 400 maiden females in the commercial herd at the end of the year."

Their first choice was Remolea Upshot U233, who featured super low birth weight and top 20pc calving ease, which they secured for $7000.

Mr McKenchnie described that as exceptionally good value.

"We liked him because he is a shorter bull and a cherry red colour with good pigment around the eye," he said.

The sale was also interfaced with AuctionsPlus, however no online sales were made.

• Agents: GDL Dalby