Bulls sell across three states at Collins family's ALC Brahmans sale

Bulls were sold to cattle operations across Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland when the annual ALC Brahmans bull sale was held at Gundaroo, Nebo on July 7.

The top price of $21,000 was achieved three times, for two bulls going to AJM Pastoral at Richmond, and the third selling to the Cockatoo Cattle Co at Wandoan.

All 103 bulls offered via the Helmsman system were sold for a 100 per cent clearance, and ranged in price from $5000 to $21,000, for a sale average of $7942.

AJM Pastoral's Alister McClymont is the only ALC Brahmans client to have purchased bulls from ALC every year since the stud's inception, when the first on-property bull sale was held in 2011.

Mr McClymont said the stud's reputation for breeding bulls with high fertility traits was the main reason they like to buy sires from the Collins family, along with their bulls' early maturing characteristics.

"The ALC bulls also have the poll gene now, which is good,"Mr McClymont said. "We've gone from a 10pc poll herd to 80 to 90pc now."

The McClymonts' operation at Richmond is geared to turning off feeder cattle, hence the need for early maturing genetics with good conversion rates.

"If we're not using good weight gain cattle like the Collins have, buyers won't take them," Mr McClymont said.

On average, the sale team of rising two-year-old, grass-developed bulls ranked in the top 5pc of the Brahman breed for both the Central Production Dollar Index and Live Export Dollar Index, the top 5pc for scrotal size and days to calving estimated breeding value, and the top 25pc for 600-day growth EBV.

Sixty-six per cent of the bulls for sale were polled, while 83pc were out of two-year-old calving dams and/or granddams.

The first of the $21,000 bulls purchased by AJM Pastoral, lot 18, was homozygous polled, ranking in the top 1pc of the breed for Central Production and Live Export indices, and in the top 30pc for the 600-day growth EBV.

The second bull they purchased for $21,000, lot 41, was also homozygous polled, had a plus-64 CP dollar index, registered plus-96 for the LE dollar index, and sat in the plus-42 range for the 600-day growth EBV.

AJM Pastoral secured four homozygous polled bulls in total for an average of $17,750.

The third bull to equally top the sale was lot 56, described as heavily muscled and phenotypically impressive, was out of a dam that calved as a two-year-old, has had five calves on a 351-day interval and is heavily pregnant with her next calf.

ALC Brahmans' fertility focus was emphasised in the calving records for the next three generations in the female pedigree line - 12 calves on a 363-day interval, 11 calves on a 363-day interval and seven calves on a 369-day interval.

All three sale toppers went to commercial cattle operations, emphasising the value they saw in the genetic package supplied in ALC Brahmans bulls.

The second-top sale price of $20,000 was reached three times as well, each bull going to studs.

Baldwin Pastoral purchased lot 92, Rockley Brahmans at Moura were the buyers of lot 36, and JP Hampson and SE Utschink successfully bid for lot 30.

Buyers had access to videos of every lot, supported by comprehensive catalogue information, including performance and fertility data, and Louise Collins said online participation through AuctionsPlus was strong again this year.

She said the first-time ALC buyers purchased with confidence, using only the videos and detailed performance information.

"Their willingness to buy unseen reinforced the value of providing transparent, objective data alongside quality visual assessment," she said. "One of the most rewarding aspects of the sale was the feedback from buyers, who commented on the depth and consistency of the offering."

Ms Collins said they appreciated the continuing confidence of long-standing clients as well.

• Selling agent - JW Livestock Services, simulcast on AuctionsPlus