Top bull at Kandanga Valley sale goes to North Queensland bulk buyers
Bulk buyers from Sarina bought the top bull at the 2025 Kandanga Valley Stud summer bull sale, where the sale average and clearance were up on 2024.
About 60 people filled the stands at the Mercer family's Kandanga Valley property, Warravale, on Saturday, December 6, for their sixth annual summer sale.
Viewers and bidders joined in person and online from local areas around the south east and Burnett, west to Charleville, north to Hughenden and as far south as Wodonga, Victoria.
A total of 56 Charolais and Charbray bulls from 59 offered sold through the ring for a 95 per cent clearance, an average price of $9036, and a gross sale value of about $500,000.
Another bull sold after the conclusion of bidding to bring the average to $8962 and clearance to 97pc.
By comparison, 40 bulls from 65 sold at auction in 2024 for a 62pc clearance, $7713 average and top price of $16,000.
Fierce bidding throughout the 2025 sale saw 19 lots sell for $10,000 or more, including five Charolais and 14 Charbray bulls.
The Mercers sold Kandanga Valley Ulterior to Greg and Shirley Callander, of Colston Park in the Sarina Range for the top price of $30,000.
Ulterior is a golden, polled Charbray bull, 29 months old, and he weighs 936 kilograms.
He had an eye muscle area of 141 square centimetres, scrotal circumference of 39cm, intramuscular fat of 5.0pc, as well as P8 and rib fat measurements of eight and seven millimetres.
Kandanga Valley Charolais and Charbray Stud principal John Mercer said he was a sound bull, strong on top, with ample muscling and a tidy underline.
"Ulterior is one of the first calves out of a home-bred cow, Kandanga Valley Reflection," Mr Mercer said.
"His sire, Trifecta Prince, has performed well for us on heifers in particular, producing calves with a low birth weight and good growth."
The Callanders, repeat buyers at Kandanga Valley sales, bought a total of nine bulls, all Charbray, for an average price of $14,222.
Their new bulls will go into a commercial breeding and fattening program, according to Mr Callander.
"We might be tempted to sell cattle at lighter weights in a drier year, but we have had a good enough season in 2025 to hold onto our weaners and grow them out to a weight for the meatworks," he said.
"And there is plenty of interest from both processors and restockers in buying cattle out of the paddock at the moment.
"We liked the top bull's size and all-round appeal.
"He and the others we bought today will be joined with our younger females once they have had time to settle in at home."
The Callanders have bought bulls almost exclusively from the Kandanga Valley Stud since introducing Charolais and Charbray genetics into their high-grade Brahman herd in the early 2010s.
They also bought the sale's second-top-price bull, Kandanga Valley Uncle Sam, for $18,000.
He's a white, polled Charbray, 26 months old, weighing 934kg, by ANC Q Prince, and out of Kandanga Valley Neighborly.
Comparing the breeds, 36 of 37 Charolais bulls sold through the ring for an average of $7666, while 20 of 22 Charbrays sold for an average of $11,500.
Nutrien Rockhampton agent and auctioneer Sam Moy said the demand for Charbrays was one of the sale highlights.
"Repeat buyers were out in force today," Mr Moy said.
"There was interest from areas across Queensland, and potentially more interest than usual from New South Wales."
The Flanagan family from Scone, NSW, for example, bought five lots through the ring.
The largest number of lots were bought by the Anning family from Hughenden, who picked up 10 Charolais bulls at auction for an average price of $7400, and another two bulls after the sale.
The Anning family is reportedly trialling Euro genetics in its herd of Brahman breeders, to capitalise on the strength of the crossbred feeder market at the time of writing.
- Agents: Nutrien, Shepherdson and Boyd, interfaced with AuctionsPlus
