'Cattle enthusiast' takes home top-priced bull at Weeran's spring sale
Seen at Weeran Angus, some of the buyers at the Byaduk stud's spring sale. Pictures by Jo Moore
The purchaser of last year's top-priced bull from Weeran Angus, Byaduk, has done it again, taking home the sale topper from the spring sale.
Last year, Lachlan McKenzie, Tarrenlea, who runs a nutrition consultancy and feed supply business, picked up Weeran Tuscany VHW22T399.
This year, he bought Lot 28, the second of two bulls to sell for $16,000.
The other bull that went for $16,000 was Lot 4, knocked down toPeter Allen, South Boorook, Mortlake.
The stud recorded a clearance of 46 bulls of 58, for an average of $9240.
Weeran stud co-principal Alec Moore said there was very strong competition for the good bulls.
"We probably ran out of buyers in the end, but that's not surprising when you know what's been going on in this district over the last two years," he said.
"There have been a lot of cows gone, so we are very happy with that result."
This year's highest price was slightly down on last year.
He said Weeran had put "serious numbers" of cattle and sheep in confinement.
"We have just been trying to keep the pastures growing, we have had probably pretty much 800-900 head of cattle in confinement, likewise with a lot of sheep," he said.
Lot 4, Weeran Untouchable VHW23U572, was by Witherswood Bronc out of Weeran N139.
The August 2024 bull was the first male calf by N139.
He weighed 818 kilograms and had estimated breeding values including a 3.8kg birth weight (BWT), 62kg 200-day weight, 115kg 400-day weight and 149kg 600-day weight.
He had an eye muscle area (EMA) of 6.7 square centimetres, a rib fat measurement of -3.3 millimetres and a P8 measurement of -6.7mm.
His intramuscular fat (IMF) measured 2.3 per cent.
Mr Moore said Untouchable was a bull Weeran used in its own heifer joining program.
"He came out of the heifers at the beginning of August," he said.
"His sire, Witherswood Bronc, has topped our sale numerous times, and his growth curve of 3.8 to 149 is pretty damned impressive.
"He is structurally perfect and just a very good, phenotypic animal."
The second top-priced bull, Weeran Upstanding VHW23U418, was an August 2023-drop sire by Sterling Pacific 904 out of Weeran R728.
He had a BWT of 2.8kg, a 200-day weight of 57kg, a 400-day weight of 98kg and a 600-day weight of 127kg.
He had an EMA of 11.8sqcm, a rib fat of 0.7mm and P8 of -1.3mm.
His retail beef yield was 1.1pc and IMF was 1.9pc.
Mr Moore said Mr McKenzie had supplied Weeran with feed during the drought.
"Earlier in the year, he purchased Cluden Newry Uppercut for $275,000," he said.
"He is very much a cattle enthusiast."
Mr Moore said calving had been going "really well".
"I actually marvel at just how robust a good Angus female is, they can take a hell of a pummelling and still be able to function," he said.
Capital Livestock and Property agent Brady Hicks, Hamilton, said he was really happy with the result.
Mr Hicks said he wasn't too sure how it would go, as there wasn't a lot of money in pockets at the moment.
"The pass-in rate was about what we expected, but the average price was above what we were hoping for," he said.
"I was hoping that if we got above $9000, I would be pretty stoked."
Mr Hicks said Lot 4 could have been retained by Weeran.
"If he hadn't gone too well, I think they would have kept him, because they were very, very happy with his performance and how he was as a breeder," he said.
He said bulls went locally, to Camperdown, Gippsland and into South Australia.
He said recent rain had "changed the mindset" for everyone, with producers now being able to hold onto stock and push them through until the end of spring.
It would also allow producers to restock hay and silage.
"The amount of money that has been spent on feed this year has been absolutely ridiculous - to get that couple of inches was huge and will hopefully set us up," he said.
