BEEF producers were rewarded with quality Gelbvieh and composite bulls and females at good values at the Summit Gelbvieh stud's fifth annual on-property production sale at Narrikup this week.
The Pugh family presented another outstanding catalogue of Gelbvieh and Gelbvieh composite bulls and females giving producers the opportunity to select from pure or crossbred pedigrees.
A big crowd attended the sale but due to the current state of the beef market, a number of regular buyers were forced to reassess their forthcoming bull requirements.
Like most bull sales this year, buyers were selective with their choices and bidding and consequently there were some overlooked lots and values were back from previous years.
Overall the Landmark team cleared 21 of the 31 catalogued bulls under the hammer to average $3845 with values reaching a top of $5500.
This equated to a marginal decline in average compared to last year where 27 bulls averaged $4065.
The line-up of commercial composite females again attracted plenty of interest to average $975 and top at $1100 with the average down by $442 on last year's sale where 30 females averaged $1417.
Boosting the sale result was the negotiations on the overlooked bulls that continued after the sale and when Farm Weekly left the property a number of bulls had been sold to record a solid clearance for the Pugh family.
In his sale opening address, Summit stud principal John Pugh remained optimistic about the future of the industry and said the team of bulls exemplified what the stud was trying to achieve.
"It's not particularly exciting times in our industry but we live in hope and anything we do takes time to take effect," Mr Pugh said.
"They are a fairly even team, are well-fleshed types and not overly big.
"I don't think it's a good thing to present bulls at 900-1000kg, as it's disadvantageous to them in the long run."
Mr Pugh said the bulls were prepared differently this year after they were run on grass at the Narrikup property instead of making the trip north to Three Springs.
"The bulls have only seen grain in the last six weeks and were on a very mild ration," he said.
"We are very pleased with the way they have performed on grass and it's very important, particularly with a Euro, to have the ability to finish on grass which gives them a lot more versatility."
Garrison Cattle Feeders, Swan Hill, Victoria, represented by property manager Darren Jenke, returned this year and again played a prominent role in the sale's top-end values.
The operation purchased three Gelbvieh bulls for an average of $5167 including the sale's $5500 top price bull and one Red Composite bull for $4000.
The top-priced bull, Summit Eastern Star G114, was a May 1, 2011-drop bull and the first son to be offered in Australia by new AI sire DCSF Post Rock Star Power.
The 648kg Eastern Star G114 recorded actual data at the January 25 scanning of 111cm2 EMA, 6mm rib and P8 fats and 2.5pc IMF.
Mr Jenke said the bulls would be joined to a predominantly Red Angus herd and were selected on their suitability to the vealer market.
"We look for soft, easy doing bulls with good growth for age, length and muscling," he said.
Mr Jenke also included the sale's $5250 second top-priced bull in his team, Summit Ford G15, a son of Summit Falcon that recorded actual data of 111cm2 EMA, 7mm P8 fat, 6mm rib fat, 2.6pc IMF and 674kg bodyweight (BW).
Long-time clients of the Summit stud MJ Wringe & Son, Kirup, outlaid the sale's $4500 top composite bull price for an early 2011-drop Red Composite bull (75pc Gelbvieh 25pc Red Angus) by proven stud sire Summit Red Hot.
The bull measured 114cm2 EMA, 6mm P8 fat, 5mm rib fat, 2.6pc IMF and 672kg BW.
Buyer Chris Wringe said the bull would be joined to first cross Angus-Friesian females and they would retain the composite heifers and join them to Angus bulls in the first joining and Simmental bulls in their following joinings.
He said the steers had been selling direct to the supermarket trade off grass.
"They are dropped in March and sold in November off mum where they average 400kg liveweight and 230kg dressed," Mr Wringe said.
"I viewed our carcases on the hook being MSA graded and the IMF and eye muscle looked very good.
"They averaged 9mm fat which is ideal for the market we are supplying."
Volume buyer of the day went to another long-time Summit client Lee Johnston, EP & TJ Johnston, Millbrook, after securing three Gelbvieh bulls between $3000 and $4000 and two lines of PTIC Black and Grey Composite cows for $850 each.
The four to six-year-old cows were 50pc Gelbvieh, 25pc Angus or Red Angus and 25pc Murray Grey and due to calve in April-May.
Mr Johnston said he ran a crossbreeding operation comprising of 450 mainly Angus breeders but is in the process of increasing the number of first cross Gelbvieh-sired breeders in the herd to improve its versatility.
"If the composite cows are producing milk and getting back in calf, then 100pc of your herd is producing hybrid vigour," he said.
"It seems to be working well for me at the moment."
The commercial composite female values reached a top of $1100 for two lines.
The first pen of five Grey Composite females (50pc Gelbvieh, 25pc Angus, 25pc Murray Grey) was knocked down to TR & DM Bell, Albany, while the following pen of five Red Composite cows of the same breeding was purchased by Johnson Brothers, Green Valley.
Both lines of cows were four to six-years-old and had Gelbvieh-Shorthorn sired calves at foot.
Buyers Terry Bell and Phil Johnson agreed they were good-sized cows with strong young calves at foot and proved value-for-money buying.
Other multiple bull buyers at the sale included Tomlinson Ag, Bremer Bay, which competed strongly throughout the sale to finish with three bulls including a Gelbvieh, Red Composite and a Black Composite bull in its selections.
Elders Boyanup agent Mal Barrett representing WC, BE & DC Avery, Nannup, collected two Gelbvieh bulls for $4500 each while Daneholme Farm, Boyup Brook, took home a Shortvieh and a Black Composite bull.
