Strong results continued across a range of beef breed bull sale fixtures last week as the main Spring selling activity starts to drift out of southern states into Queensland. Here’s a snapshot of some of the recent results…

Millah Murrah sets season-high $8612 average

The highest single-vendor Angus stud sale average for the year to date was achieved at Millah Murrah’s annual bull sale last week.

The $8612 average for a total clearance of 85 bulls was all the more noteworthy because of the young age profile evident within the catalogue. Only 17 of the 85 bulls offered were two-year-olds, with 42 aged around 18 months and 26 sold as yearlings around 12 months.

Bulls sold from Rockhampton in the north to King Island in the south.

Top price at $24,000 was paid for a bull bought by Coolie Angus at Merriwa, NSW. Twenty-one bulls sold for $10,000 or more.  Eighty percent of the bulls went to repeat buyers.

Among the many outstanding results were five sons of Highlander of Stern which averaged $14,000; eight sons of Millah Murrah D78 which averaged $11,563; 12 sons of BT Right Time 24J averaging $10,875; eight sons of Ardrossan Apollo averaging $9188; five sons of Millah Murrah Digby averaging $8400; six sons of Innesdale Carbine C31 averaging $7083; and 11 sons of Carrington Park Time on B7 averaging $7000.

The 26 yearling bulls catalogued average $7000; the 42 18-month-old bulls averaged $9476; and the 17 two-year-olds average $8941.

The sale grossed $732,000, well up from 2011’s $708,000, with five extra bulls offered in the catalogue.

Records smashed at Yulgilbar Santas

Last Friday’s annual Yulgilbar Santa Gertrudis production sale held at the Broadwater division of the historic Northern Rivers property produced a $32,500 top price and sustained bidding support throughout the catalogue from three states.

A huge crowd of around 400 people attended, with 103 bid cards registered. Buyers attended from as far afield as the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory to Charters Towers in North Queensland; and as far south as Berry and west to Bourke in NSW.

There was a strong contingent of 22 repeat buyers present, competing with 16 first-time clients for the quality Yulgilbar genetics on offer.

The strong interest in Yulgilbar’s signature sire, the Australian record priced bull, Warenda Sahara continued, with 12 sons of the homozygous poll averaging $12,312.

Top price of the day was paid for the Sahara son Yulgilbar Fitzroy (P), weighing 876 kg at 23 months, with a weightgain of 1.19 kg/day and an Eye Muscle area of 120sq cm. Fitzroy is a trait leader for mature cow weight and stands in the top 1pc of the breed for 600-day growth.

He was bought by Graham, Tom and Jenni Acton from Acton Land and Cattle Co in Central Queensdland, who lent strong bidding support buying 11 bulls for an average of $9500, including the third top price at $17,000, Yulgilbar Empire, also by Sahara.

Second top price of $18,000 was achieved for a polled son of Dunlop Fraggle (P) selling to new clients, Brookside Pastoral Co from Armidale.

Losing bidder on the top price bull, and a repeat client, Barry Lindemann from Toowoomba secured another Sahara son, Yulgilbar Famous, for $12 000.

Buyers showed a keen preference for the polled bulls on offer, averaging $7986. Value buying was seen in the dehorned portion of the catalogue, which produced a $5153 average.

Top priced herd bull sold to the Doak Family for $8500.

Ross Grazing Co, Kemmis Creek, Nebo bid strongly to secure seven bulls at auction and another three from a group reserved for private bids, after the sale, while Fred Barlow from Wyadrigah Pastoral Co, Mungindi purchased seven bulls at auction.

Brisbane-based QC, Sid Williams flew in to secure three bulls for a $7166 average, while valued Glen Elgin clients, Kim and Bev Cheers returned for two averaging $7750.

New buyers Collingwood Pastoral Co from Meandarra (Qld) purchased two bulls to a top of $10,500, while Robert Baker paid $11,000 for a polled son of Dunlop Fraggle. Blackall’s Jim Scully, operating through Gary Greer, purchased a polled son of Wave Hill Bonfire for $10,500.

The David family from Bundarra returned to buy three bulls while valued repeat client Graham Curley from Bendigo Park, Cloncurry purchased two bulls averaging $6000.

Strong local repeat buyer support continued with 19 bulls staying locally in the Grafton, Casino and Kyogle areas.

In the female section, David Atkinson from Coorumburra Pastoral Co, Marlborough purchased three stud females to a top of $3500. The solid demand for Yulgilbar Sangus (Santa x Angus) females continued this year with 62 cows and calves averaging $1361 to top at $1520 to Lindenow Pastoral Co from Gunnedah. A line 75 PTIC red tag Sangus heifers topped at $1300 to average $1113 while 29 empty ready-to-mate Sangus heifers averaged $902.

$52,500 top twice at Droughtmaster National sale

The 2012 Droughtmaster National sale which finished at Gracemere on Wednesday produced another outstanding result, with 492 bulls sold over the two-day catalogue averaging $6763, within sight of last year’s $7000+ record high.

The sale produced another 90+ percent clearance with strong buyer support from across Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern regions of WA.

In a clear demonstration of the faith in the breed, commercial bullock producers were paying up to $15,000 for bulls.

The top price of $52,500 was reached twice, with both bulls being offered by Hewitt Cattle Co, Fork Lagoon, Emerald.

The purchasers were Alan Lever’s Leverdale Stud at near Tully in far North Queensland, for a son of a Comanche-bred sire, and Huntly Droughtmaster Stud at Clermont, for a Locarno son.

Volume buyers included Clark & Tait, Enniskillen, Longreach taking 22 bulls averaging $5700 and John and Annette Henwood, Fossil Downs, Fitzroy Crossing, WA, 20 bulls averaging $5150.

$17,000 top for Billabong

Bulls sold to a top price of $17,000 and averaged $4708 at the annual Billabong Droughtmaster sale in Central Queensland last week.

The stud sold 127 bulls and nine females for a 93 percent clearance, with strong support from both commercial and stud breeders at its annual on-property sale near Moura.

The 20 Select stud sires on offer produced a strong $8375 average, including the $17,000 sale-topper, Billabong’s 2012 show team member, Billabong Xavier.

A small offering of nine elite Droughtmaster stud females averaged $2777.

This year’s Brisbane Royal Show reserve senior champion bull, Billabong Yogi, sold for $15,000 to Julia Creek’s Hick family, Lindfield Cattle Co. Billabong Zeus, a Castletower Jackpot son, was secured by Warren and Carolyn Kenny, Wajatryn, Gayndah for $14,000.

The female section topped at $5500 for the Billabong Godfrey daughter, Billabong Tiramasu, bought by Keith Shields, Kirala Droughtmasters, Woodeson.

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