BULLS from the Droughtmaster and Santa Gertrudis breeds went to new homes recently with the title of equal top price lot at the X-Factor Beef Production Sale held at the Muchea Livestock Centre last week hitting $6500 on two occasions.
The $1000 rise in top values compared to last year’s top of $5500 came very early on in the sale, signalling towards a positive conclusion at the end of the day and indeed it was with the Merryup, Hallmark and Tanglewood studs posting a collective average of $3517 in the bull catalogue, up $559 on last year’s inaugural sale average.
The line-up of 47 Droughtmaster bulls, 30 Santa Gertrudis bulls and two Santa Master bulls reached a clearance of 76 per cent which was a 16pc increase on last year.
The gross came in at $211,000, up $51,250 on 2016, with eight more bulls sold.
In addition to the usual offering of bulls at the sale, more than 40 stud and commercial Droughtmaster and Santa Gertrudis heifers were offered for the first time.
The Primaries and Elders selling teams worked hard but only managed to clear 51pc of the heifers, with values topping at $1700 twice for stud Droughtmaster heifers from Merryup.
The total gross achieved from 21 heifers sold reached $25,490, posting an average of $1214 per head.
The clearance for the both the bulls and heifers was also improved post sale with the agents negotiating the sale of many of the passed in lots to ensure the vendors had very few animals to take home.
Elders auctioneer Don Morgan said while the registered buyers list was bolstered on last year, buyers were selective in their bidding.
“The better bulls with better shape and structure sold to reasonable values,” Mr Morgan said.
“Obviously the lesser bulls were harder to sell but it was nice to see an increase in average on last year.
“It was also fantastic to have a bigger registered buyers list, but at the end of the day those buyers knew what they wanted.”
Primaries auctioneer Rhys Hebberman said it was a solid sale result for both studs with both the clearance and prices up on last year.
“There was increased competition compared to last year due to a better season in the pastoral region and the strong cattle market, which helped improve both the clearance and prices,” Mr Hebberman said.
“While the clearance and prices were up buyers were still selective in their buying and the better bulls with good structure and shape sold well.”
p Droughtmaster bulls
As always the sale kicked off with the Droughtmaster portion of the catalogue.
A total of 30 from 47 Droughtmaster bulls sold to an average of $3658, up $619 on the 2016 average.
In the top price stakes buyers didn’t have to wait long to see the sale reach the top price mark at $6500 for the first time.
It was a bull from the Merryup stud, Mt Barker in the very first pen at lot two, that made the top price when it sold to Peter Edmunds, Pete & Pol Farm, Red Gully.
The April 2015-born bull was sired by Glenlands Quartz D5 and was out of Bumper 1365 D5.
Rounding out his purchases, Mr Edmunds also secured another Merryup bull in lot three at $4000 and a Hallmark sire in lot 30 for $3750 to bring his average to $4750.
Mr Edmunds said he was happy with all of the selections he had made during the sale.
“They are all good handy bulls,” he said.
“A good temperament was very important of course, but I really liked the bodies on them.
“In particular the bull in lot two had a nice and soft conformation which I like.”
Mr Edmunds said the bulls he purchased would be used over his Droughtmaster heifers.
The second top value of $5000 in the Merryup offering was paid by Dean Ryan, Central Stockcare Pty Ltd, for the very first bull offered.
The late August 2014-drop Merryup bull was also sired by Glenlands Quartz D5.
The volume buyer in the Merryup offering and also the Droughtmaster offering overall was Primaries Geraldton representative Craig Walker, who secured five Merryup sires to a top of $4250 and an average of $3650 and two Hallmark Droughtmasters at $4000 and $3500, for an undisclosed operation which has stations in the Murchison and Goldfields areas.
Mr Walker said the bulls would be used over Brahman-Droughtmaster cross cows in the Goldfields with the progeny being sold into the live export market.
Other multiple buyers in the Merryup run were Epminex WA Pty Ltd, which purchased three bulls to $4000 and an average of $3333, while Rangeview Assets, Booylgoo Springs station, Sandstone, secured two bulls at $3000 through Elders Meekatharra/Goldfields representative Alan Browning and Charla Downs, Waroona, purchased two at $4500 and $3500.
By the end of the run the Merryup stud had cleared 19 of 34 sires at an average of $3789.
The Hall family’s Hallmark stud, Piawaning, put forward a team 13 Droughtmasters and cleared 11 under the hammer at an average of $3432.
The top price in the Hallmark team was $4500 for Hallmark L88 (P) paid by another volume buyer of Droughtmaster bulls Koordarrie station, Carnarvon, with Rory and Joe De Pledge in the action.
The 552kg bull was a July 2015 drop and is by Valeview Ubetcha (P). Along with securing the top-priced Hallmark bull they secured another three Hallmark sires to finish with an average of $3500 across the team of four to go with two Merryup sires purchased at $4500 and $3500.
Rory De Pledge said they were looking to top up the herd on the station and was happy with their selections.
“Generally the line-up at the sale was good,” Mr De Pledge said.
“We’ve got about 1800 Droughtmaster breeders and what we’ve bought will be used over our heifers.
“This is the first time we’ve bought at this sale and from these studs, but Dad and I think these bulls look pretty good so we’ll see how they go.”
Mr Browning also picked up two Hallmark sires both at $3000 for Rangeview Assets while Mr Walker selected two sires at $3500 and $3000 for Killara station, Meekatharra.
n Santa Gertrudis bulls
The Santa Gertrudis bull section of the catalogue saw the Merryup and Tanglewood studs combine to offer 30 bulls and with stronger buying support compared to last year they achieved a much healthy clearance and average.
They sold 28 under the hammer for a $3366 average, which was up $491 on last year’s result when 18 bulls sold from 41 offered.
The Merryup stud led the section with an offering of 23 sires and by the end of the run 21 had been cleared for a $3357 average.
The Merryup team topped at $6500 for the stud’s team leader, Merryup 1462 (P), when it was purchased by Primaries Lower Great Southern agent Rob Williams, on behalf of a return undisclosed southern buyer, who also runs a pastoral operation.
The well-muscled, long-bodied, polled bull was by Yarrawonga Buchanan G342 and was a late April 2015-drop calf.
The next best price in the offering was $5750 achieved by Merryup 1463 (P).
The March 2015-drop son of Yarrawonga Buchanan G342 was purchased by the Tanglewood stud.
There were numerous buyers which purchased multiple Merryup bulls and taking the most was Kybo station, Kalgoorlie, which purchased five all at $2750 with the assistance of the Primaries team.
Another volume buyer was Mr Walker, who secured four for his undisclosed client to a top of $3500 twice and average of $3250.
The bulls will be used over Santa Gertrudis-Shorthorn breeders on a station in the Murchison to breed calves for the live export market and to go on feed.
Rounding out the multiple bull buyers in the Merryup run were Towerlup Cattle Co, Kojonup, which purchased three to a $3250 top and a $3083 average and LR & PD Ward, Glen Ayle station, Wiluna, who purchased three at an average of $2917 through Mr Browning.
Tanglewood stud principals David and Suzanne Hall rounded their offering out with a team of seven Santa Gertrudis sires which all sold to a top of $4250 and an average of $3393.
Their $4250 top-priced bull, Tanglewood L12 (P), was purchased by Kookabrook Grazing, Pinjarra.
The long-bodied, classified 646kg sire was by Merryup 1239 (P) and was dropped in mid June 2015.
Mr Walker was also active in the Tanglewood run securing two bulls at $3500 and $2750 for the Murchison station and one at $4000 for Killara station.
Atley station, Sandstone, was another multiple buyer of Tanglewood sires picking up two at $3250 and $3000.
Santa Master bulls
The Hall family, Tanglewood stud, offered two Santa Master bulls, which were quickly snapped up for an average of $3500.
The top price was $4000 for the first bull offered, Tanglewood K38 (PS), when it was knocked down to Mr Walker for his undisclosed pastoral buyer.
The 650kg, August 2014-drop bull was by a Droughtmaster sire and out of a Tanglewood Santa Gertrudis stud cow.
Mr Walker also picked up the other Santa Master bull to sell, which was a June 2015-drop for the same client at $3000.
Heifers
A selection of stud and commercial Droughtmaster and Santa Gertrudis heifers were also offered during the sale.
Mr Morgan said it was a great idea for heifers to be included in the X-Factor fixture.
“Hopefully in the future buyers looking for heifers will attend the sale in greater numbers,” he said.
“This year buyers were very selective when it came to the heifer catalogue, but there was certainly some good value buying on the day.”
The 11 commercial Droughtmasters offered by Merryup and Hallmark were popular, selling to a total clearance, a top of $1180 and an average of $1122.
Unfortunately the stud offering of Droughtmaster heifers from Merryup failed to garner much interest with two from 12 selling at $1700 apiece.
Santa Gertrudis commercial heifers were offered by Merryup, Tanglewood and Glen Bernie station.
Of the 18 offered, only eight sold, to a top of $1250 and an overall average of $1219.
A number of the heifers sold privately after the sale, demonstrating the potential of a future in the inclusion of heifers in the X-Factor sale going forward.
