Studs and commercial clients bid a fair average for Ben Nevis Angus bulls
A dozen Angus studs went home with 22 new sires while returning commercial clients bid-up in good faith at the Ben Nevis Angus annual bull sale at Walcha on Wednesday.
Of the 91 sires offered, all but one sold, retained by the stud despite a solid bid of $28,000.
The 90 bulls averaged $15,158 in total, with a top of $30,000 for a yearling.
Of those younger sires, the average was $14,382 while the average price for the 41 bulls aged 18 months was $15,707 to top at $26,000.
Stud producers Jim and Jackie Wedge, Ascot Cattle Co at Warwick, Qld, bidding through Elders Walcha, won the best priced yearling in Ben Nevis Vanguard V205, 554 kilograms at 13 months, by Millah Murrah Quartz Q209 from a Ben Nevis Geranium.
With a lifetime average daily gain of 1.26 kilograms and a 36 centimetre scrotal circumference, Vanguard presented with estimated breeding values that included top nine per cent for the breed in 400-day weight at +112, top 16pc for intramuscular fat at +4, top 3pc for milk at +28 and top 12pc for calving ease direct at +7.3.
Mr Wedge said the yearling brought an outcross pedigree to his stud, along with a "rare" balance of EBVs with excellent temperament and structure. He will be used as a back-up heifer bull in Ascot's artificial insemination program.
"Temperament is number one in our stud and we also liked his low birthweight, suitable for use over heifers. We liked his growth and carcase figures and high IMF," he said.
"He is the overall package, really."
Ascot Cattle Co also paid $16,000 for another outcross yearling in Ben Nevis Vee-Dub V350 by Square B True North 8052 from a Ben Nevis Jean, with a great sire outlook and good growth figures. He will be used as a back-up bull.
Top selling 18-month-old bull, Ben Nevis Vision V25, by Ben Nevis Rambo R230 from a Ben Nevis Dormist, sold for $26,000 to repeat commercially-oriented client McRae Pastoral, Loita Downs at Walcha, who went home with three bulls to average $20,000.
Ben Nevis Vision, 770kg at 18 months, presented with a 38cm scrotal and 1.31 ADG and EBVs that include top 3pc for shear force, or tenderness, top 24pc for MSA marbling, top 9pc for calving ease daughters, top 5pc for gestation length and top 5pc for dollar indexes.
Bulls sold to Tasmania, where Michael Mather at New River Beef, Ringarooma, paid $26,000 for a yearling son of Dunoon Sunstone S378 in Ben Nevis Vivid V361, with top 14pc CEDir, top 17pc scrotal size, top 10pc for eye muscle area and top 6pc for rump fat.
Repeat commercial clients were the volume buyers, including Mick and Sylvia Roberts, Roberts Grazing at Springsure, Qld, who have been buying Ben Nevis bulls for 15 years and on Wednesday went home with six sires to average $14,333 and top at $16,000 for Ben Nevis Vista V430, 750kg at 18 months, by Schaack Satisfaction. These bulls will go over Santa Gertrudis cows with progeny grown out on grass.
West to the gibber plains of South Australia there is less to eat but the Ben Nevis bulls perform regardless. Commercial client Andrew Clarke, Neales River Livestock at Coober Pedy, keeps coming back for more after a decade of proven and consistent results in tough country. Mr Clarke bought four bulls to average $11,500 and top at $14,000 for a yearling Rambo son in Ben Nevis Vermouth V220.
"We like forming relationships with people, and the Halliday family are good people," he said. "If their bulls didn't perform, we wouldn't keep coming back."
The sale was hosted by Nutrien Boulton's at Walcha with both StockLive and AuctionsPlus delivering substantial online input to the selling ring.
