'Be stricter with the castrating knife': readers speak on bull sale upset price
A significant number of readers believe vendors should be allowed to have a say in setting the starting price at multi-vendor bull sales.
It comes after a Queensland Country Life story published on October 21 reported that stud principals were concerned that some upset prices at auctions in 2025 were below the cost price and impacting perceptions of breeds.
In response, QCL put the issue to readers with 232 people responding in three days.
When asked if sale committees or vendors should have a say in setting the upset price, 74 per cent of respondents believed it should be up to vendors.
The committee must listen to the concerns being raised at the meeting and act upon them, rather than simply acknowledging "it's a valid point" without taking any action, one respondent said.
According to 66pc of poll submissions, $4000 was not an appropriate starting price for a bull sale in 2025.
A suggestion of a $6000 start price was raised in the comments section multiple times.
"Should be a minimum start price of $5000, but I believe $6000 would be ideal. Try buying a decent black bull anywhere for under $5000," one comment read.
"If you get 20 calves from one bull per year and sell the calves for $900 each, then he has we and truly paid for himself in the first year," another said.
A respondent in agreement with a lower starting price said that if they were high, they were more inclined not to bid and negotiate after the sale or buy privately.
"I find if the starting price is lower than, I'm more likely to bid and keep bidding, knowing that the animal is worth what I think it is," they said.
Some argued that it wasn't the starting price that was the problem, but rather the quality of the bulls.
"People will pay if they see value. The product on offer, not the starting price, determines the value," one comment read.
"If it's a good bull, it will get bid on; otherwise, they need to be stricter with the castrating knife," another said.
"Raising the reserve artificially raises averages, not necessarily the quality of the bulls. It's unnecessary, the quality of the bulls should speak for itself," one said.
One commenter gave more credit to buyers: "If they are only willing to pay $4000 for a bull, it usually means there is something wrong with the bull".
The Rockhampton Brangus Sale, National Charbray Sale and the National Braford Sale both started at $6000, while the Droughtmaster National Sale started at $5000, and Brahman Week started at $4000 in 2025.
One respondent who drives more than 1200km to sell at a multi-vendor sale in Gracemere, said that their breed lowered the upstart price to $4000, they "may as well sell our bulls straight into the fat yards as they would make over $3000".
"For us to prep our bulls for the multi vendor bull sale, it costs in excess of $3000 when you take into account the feed to get them up to weight and condition, vet fees for semen tests, all the gene and data testing buyers want, the transport to the sale and the accommodation while at the sale," they said.
There were 64pc of people who said lower starting prices risked lowering sale values, rather than attracting more buyers.
"By not increasing the starting price when the cattle market is increasing, there is no room to move if there is a reduction in cattle prices," one person said.
