Northern buyers dominate the bidding at the inaugural Spring into Speckles sale

A bull with a balance of growth and carcase attributes has risen to the top of the inaugural Spring Into Speckles sale, held on Saturday, September 13, at Scone.

The line-up consisted of 52 lots from heifers to cows and calves, bulls and genetic packages offered by nine studs throughout the state, ranging from as far south as Nimmetabell, near Cooma, to as north as Dungowan, near Tamworth.

Queensland buyers dominated the bidding with the top-priced bull Black Stump L275 Urban Cowboy Blk U24, selling to Sarah Godsell, Augathella, Qld, for $8500.

The 30-month-old bull sired by Wattle Grove Smoke and Mirrors L275, tipped the scales at 874 kilograms, with an eye muscle area of 129 centimetres squared, while recording rump and rib fat scans of 13 millimetres and 9mm, respectively.

He measured a scrotal circumference of 38.5 centimetres, with an intramuscular fat scan of 6.4 per cent.

The bull out of Black Stump 300X Jenny by Spots 'N Sprouts Stands Alone, recorded 200-day, 400-day and 600-day weight estimated breeding values (EBVs) in the top five per cent of the breed with figures of +28, +43 and +60, respectively, along with his carcase weight figure of +36 and his retail beef yield value of +1.8.

He also ranked in the top 10pc for his mature cow weight value of +62, as well as his milk value of +8 and his EMA figure of +1.4.

The young sire was described in the catalogue as always being the heaviest in his contemporary group.

The Coolah-based stud also sold the top-priced heifer os the sale in Black Stump L275 Valley V14, who was purchased by Ashley Danks, Greenlands for $6000.

Valley V14 was sold pregnancy tested in calf to Black Stump G61 Rare Man R3, and weighed 455kg, while scanning 11mm for her rump fat scan and 8mm on her rib, with a 73cm sq EMA.

She measured an IMF scan of 7.3pc.

The broken in 18-month-old heifer also sired by Wattle Grove Smoke and Mirrors L275 placed in the top 5pc for her milk figure of +9, while placing in the top 25pc for her birthweight, scrotal size and retail beef yield figures of +0.5, +0.6 and +0.6, respectively.

Worthwhile Golly Dolly 3 was the top-price cow and calf, which was purchased by Elizabeth Easton, Annandale, Qld, for $5500.

Going back to the same grand sire as the top-priced bull, Spots 'N Sprouts Stands Alone through her sire Minnamuura Janus, the three-and-a-half-year-old female was sold with a six-month-old bull calf beside her.

The speckled female recorded a 200-day weight value of +30, placing her in the top 5pc, while also being in the top 15pc for her 400-day weight value of +37, her 600-day figure of +48, as well as her scrotal size value of +0.8 and her retail beef yield value of +0.8.

She also ranked in the top 25pc for her mature cow weight, milk and carcase weight values of +51, +7 and +28, respectively.

The volume buyer for the sale was Elizabeth Easton, Binda, who purchased five females for a top of $5500 to average $4400.

Graham Coddington, Chelsea Park, Merriwa, won the sale sraffle heifer Kikiamah Tiffany PAT U12, an 18-month-old heifer donated by Gearld Walsh and Caroline Murphy, Canberra.

Overall, 10 of the 20 bulls sold to a top of $8500 for an average of $4500, while 19 of the 24 females sold to $6000 to average $4500.

In the genetic offering, all three semen packages sold to a top of $100 per straw, while both embryo packages sold to a top of $525 per embryo.

The sale was conducted by McGrath Upper Hunter, Scone, with Stuart Sheldrake as auctioneer.

StockLive provided the online interface.