VENDORS and buyers in North Queensland are gearing up for a month of bull sales that Gener8 Reproduction says reflects an industry growing in confidence and ambition.

The bull selling season always arrives a little later in the north. “Central Queensland often enjoys the start of the season and then the sales slowly track north,” Gener8 Reproduction’s Dr Callan Solari said.

Dr Callan Solari

The lead-up has meant weeks of pre-sale bull checks for clients, and Dr Solari is a vendor himself. XMS Brahmans had four grey, polled Brahman bulls for the Gold City Brahman Sale, and six bulls for this week’s inaugural Hughenden Bull Sale.

“There’s some nervous anticipation,” he said. “’There’s been solid results across all breeds in the central and south, and hopefully that confidence continues into the north.”

So far, the signs are good. Commercial operators have been active, and averages at many recent sales, particularly in central Queensland, have been strong.

“We’ve got all aspects of the bull buying market operating at the moment and some really significant stud transactions right at the high end,” Dr Solari said.

Gener8 sees many of those bulls afterwards. “A lot of our clients have made significant investments and we’ve put some insurance in the tank for them,” he said, referring to semen collection and freezing at the Gener8 centre in Charters Towers.

A broader mix of breeds

The biggest change Dr Solari has noticed is the variety of bulls coming through. 

“It wasn’t that long ago where our bull pens were full of Brahmans and a few Droughtmasters. This year we’ve had Black Simmental, plenty of Angus, Charolais, Senepol, and a few Brahmans as well.”

He puts it down to a run of good seasons across northern Queensland and the Territory, active feedlot buyers driving demand for feeder steers and heifers, and producers chasing a lift in fertility and productivity.

“Some commercial operators are exploring other breeds to see if they can get that bit of lift from hybrid vigour and an introduction of some more Bos taurus genetics,” Dr Solari said.

Lot 101 in the Hughenden Bull Sale offered by ‘Tower-Hill’

Buying for the southern market

Brad and Jackie Schultz run an Angus-cross herd at Tower Hill Station, 70km north of Muttaburra. They aim to produce cattle for the southern market that can handle northern conditions.

Their 2026 bull buying started with purchases in the south in June and July. The Hughenden Bull Sale on November 9 will be their first sale in the north this year, where they will sell commercial Angus.

The couple bought the top-priced bull at the Texas Angus sale on 30 July. At $55,000, two-year-old Texas Velvet Touch V916 ET by LT Converse 8011 and out of Texas Omnia R157, was top dollar for the family operation. 

The July 2024-drop Angus bull weighed 962kg with a 41cm scrotal circumference. The bull was described as being a “very impressive, powerful” sire, with an EBV for calving ease (CED) of +91 – in the top 4pc, +26 for milk and +85 for carcase weight (CWT).

“He ticked all the boxes for what we need with our stud cattle, so that’s why we went pretty hard,” Brad said.

Brad and Jackie Schultz, Tower Hill Station

ET work paying off

Fertility tops the list at Tower Hill. “We’ve been trying to get growth and fertility with the Angus. We’re definitely looking for that slick coat, maternal traits, calving, the package,” Jackie said. Because the operation is seasonal, Brad said, “we can’t have a calf every 18 months, we need one every year.”

That kind of investment is why testing is non-negotiable. “You’ve got to test them so you know what’s going on. If you don’t test them, you go in blind,” Brad said.

The couple has worked with Gener8 for the past two to three years. The new bulls will be collected for semen sales and used in a live AI program across their stud cows and heifers, “to get the most out of your genetics, make them go a bit further,” Brad said.

Embryo transfer work with Gener8, now in its third year, is starting to show in the weaners coming through at Tower Hill.

“It’s like the one percenters. A lot of little things add up in that reproductive world. You’ve got to listen to your vet, talk to each other, communicate and progress forward,” Brad said.

Backing the north

Dr Solari said the inaugural Hughenden Bull Sale is “a real achievement for the Hughenden region.” Gener8 is a gold sponsor of that sale and of the Wilangi Invitation Brahman Sale on November 27.

With confidence in the northern beef industry high after consecutive good seasons, Dr Solari sees the region “heading towards a bit of a more diverse market”. 

In Part 2 of this series, later this month: How breeding decisions made now shape the bulls of 2029, and what a data-driven Brahman breeder has learned.

Remaining Northern bull sales, November 2026 

• Inaugural Hughenden Bull Sale | November 9
• MAGS Droughtmaster Sale, Charters Towers | November 13
• Huntington Charbray Bull Sale, Charters Towers | November 20
• Triple B Sale, Charters Towers | November 23
• Wilangi Invitation Brahman Sale, Charters Towers | November 27

About Gener8 Reproduction: Gener8 Reproduction offers industry-leading reproductive services designed to optimise fertility, improve genetic outcomes, and support the success of your breeding program. The team also offers large animal veterinary services. Find more at gener8repro.com.au