Valera Vale sale reveals demand for double poll bulls as volume buyers dominate

Volume buyers dominated at the Valera Vale sale at Avilion, near Warwick, on September 10, but the top-price buyer had eyes for only one bull.

It was a cooler day in comparison to the recent temperatures across the south east, but bidders and buyers kept warm at the on-site coffee van, and with morning tea provided by the Country Women's Association.

The sale saw 75 bulls offered, and 56 sold for a clearance rate of 74.67 per cent, an average of $7035.70, and a gross of $394,000.

This was an increase on the 2025 average of $6451, but the clearance rate then was 100pc.

The top-price bull, Valera Vale 25308M, sold for $16,000 to Fred Noffke of Kooringal Pastoral Company, based at Rolleston, who was also the top-price buyer at the 2025 Valera Vale sale.

Valera Vale 25308M was 22 months old and weighed 773 kilograms, had an average daily gain of 1.36kg, P8 and rib fat scans of 10 and 8 millimetres respectively, an eye muscle area of 136 square centimetres, intramuscular fat of 5.2pc, a scrotal circumference of 44 centimetres, live semen percentage of 70pc, and a morphology of 80pc.

Valera Vale 25308M was sired by Valera Vale 22205, and out of Valera Vale 22756, who had delivered two calves in two years, and was in calf again at the time of writing.

Valera Vale principal Michael Flynn and daughter Nikki Cleary said they felt the sale reflected the tough conditions buyers were currently experiencing.

"People bought very well, we think they were very good bulls, and we think that even the ones that didn't get a home on the day were deserving of one - we're very happy with the draft, they represent good value, and hopefully all those people come back and tell their neighbours," Mr Flynn said.

"It's a long game we play."

Ms Cleary said the top-price bull was her pick, and feels that his presence is what drew her and others to take notice of him.

"He's very quiet, and he's a lovely type... you always saw him when I was doing the lot numbers," she said.

"He was above average for his 600-day growth, and had a big eye muscle area... he's a nice colour for a Droughtmaster, and definitely a lot of presence."

Mr Flynn said the audience was a mix of new and repeat buyers, which gives him motivation.

"There was probably as many new people as repeat buyers, which gives us heart, but I think a lot of the places that we usually sell bulls to - especially around Augathella - are very dry, and that affected the day," he said.

Mr Flynn also said he's noticed an increase in audience demand for double polled pulls, which may have impacted his sale.

"We've developed a market for double poll bulls... we put some heterozygous bulls in this year, [but] we've convinced people they should buy double poll bulls, and anyone that's tried them doesn't want to go back... so the HPC bulls were the hard ones to sell."

The sale also offered 29 females, 17 of which sold for a clearance rate of 58.6pc, an average of $1985.29, a gross of $33,750, and a top-price of $3000.

Mr Flynn said he included females in the sale to give buyers a choice, but that he wasn't too bothered about any that didn't sell, as the unsold females will return to his herd.

Overall, the sale offered 104 head and sold 73 for a clearance rate of 70.19pc, a gross of $427,750, and an average of $5859.9 per head.

The biggest volume buyer was Bingcliff Pty Ltd, based in the Northern Territory, who bought eight head.

Nutrien stud stock agent Colby Ede said buyers attended from across Queensland, with a strong Cunnamulla presence online.

"A lot of these bulls are going into a commercial market, and are backed by the performance and data in these bulls... a lot of people are coming here to lift the bar in their operation, and the Valera Vale bulls can definitely add to that," he said.

• Selling agents: Nutrien, and GDL, interfaced with StockLive.