Repeat commercial buyers lead bidding at U8J Cattle annual Angus sale

The annual U8J Cattle Angus sale saw commercial bidders take home the top-priced bulls at the August 21 sale.

There were 49 bulls offered, 24 of which sold, for a clearance of 48.98 per cent, with a gross of $185,000, and an average sale price of $7708.33.

U8J Cattle Company, operated by the Salter family, has previously sold through multi-vendor invitational sales, but in recent years has switched to on-property sales.

In 2023 U8J Cattle Company sold 18 bulls, for a $16,111 average, through the Exton Angus Invitational bull sale at Dalby.

The top-price bull at the August 21 sale sold for $17,000 to Phil and Barbara Neilley from Ironpot, near Kingaroy, who are repeat buyers.

Ms Neilley said she had her eye on the bull before the sale, and told her husband she wasn't "going to let this fella go".

"He was our first pick, the one that we really liked, because he's a really square bull - there's as much to the back as there is to the front," Ms Neilley said.

Mr Neilley said their interest in the bull, U8J Cattle Co Vance V47, stemmed from their success and happiness with the previous U8J bull they bought, and so were keen to buy a similar kind of bull.

"We had a look at his figures first... and Phil ticked off all his EBVs, and I'm thinking to myself yeah, I like that," Ms Neilley said.

U8J Cattle Co Vance V47 was 23 months old, by Baldridge Command C036 and out of U8J Cattle Co Flinders T80, weighed 950 kilograms, had P8 and rib fat scans of 15 and 10 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 130 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 8pc, morphology of 88pc, and a scrotal circumference of 37 centimetres.

The Neilley family runs a commercial Angus beef operation across their two properties, Stoneleigh and Eversleigh, which combined equate to 1500 ha, and focus on breeding to sell weaners through GLM at Dalby.

Ms Neilley said U8J Cattle Co Vance V47 would head to their Jandowae property, where he would go over their herd of proven cows.

"[The Jandowae cattle herd] can have their own calves without any problems, and they're big enough to take the size of what he is... and we're looking forward to some lovely calves from him," she said.

Vendor Warren Salter said the bull was genuinely one of his favourites, and that he believed U8J Cattle Co Vance V47 would be suitable for any kind of operation.

"He's been a bit of a favourite from the start - he's been one of our cohort leaders for growth, and he's got a beautiful temperament on him, and he's just an all-round type of bull," Mr Salter said.

"You can put him on heifers, you can put him on cow herds, or cross breeding - he would do any type of job you would put him in... I think he's actually the total package."

Buyers attended from Clermont and local areas, and Mr Salter said they were a mix of repeat clientele and new faces.

The biggest volume buyers were the Curran family, who bought five head through Elders Dalby for an average of $6000, and the Mt McConnel Company, which is operated by John Salmond, who purchased five head through Nutrien Charters Towers for an average of $6000.

• Agents: Nutrien Ag and Elders, interfaced with Auctions Plus.