A cool western districts autumn day greeted Angus enthusiasts at the Te Mania Angus autumn bull sale held on property at Mortlake.
With 152 bulls on offer there was no shortage of great bulls for the competition of buyers, a total of 146 bulls sold at auction of a $7199 average.
Topping at $42,000 was Te Mania Newly N549 an embryo transfer son of Te Mania Jenkins J89 from the donor dam Te Mania Lowan J464 a Te Mania Berkley B1 daughtr.
Selling to a syndicate of Pathfinder Angus, Gazette, and Rennylea Angus, Culcairn NSW and including Booroomooka Angus, Bingara NSW, Little Meadows Angus, Crooked Brook WA, McRae Pastoral, Goondiwindi QLD, and Khancoban Station, Khancoban NSW.
Newly N549 ranked in the top one per cent of Angus BreedPlan for both calving ease direct and calving ease maternal and milk, and in the top five pc for gestation length, birth weight, 400-day weight, 600-day weight, scrotal size, carcase weight, intra-muscular fat (IMF) and all four Angus selection indices and top 10 pc for eye muscle area (EMA).
Speaking on behalf of the syndicate Bryan Corrigan, Rennylea Angus, commented on Newly N549's muscle expression, docility, and excellent data which fits with the breeding objectives of the syndicate members.
Nick Moyle of Pathfinder Angus added that he felt Newly N549 will compliment the Pathfinder breeding program that maintains growth with calving ease and added carcase.
"He will compliment our program with his outstanding performance, an added bonus is that he is an outcross for us" Mr Moyle said.
The second top price of the day was Te Mania Nehill N377 an embryo transfer son of Te Mania Kirk K226 out of the donor dam Te Mania Lowan J52 a GAR Twinhearts 8418 daughter, who sold for $20,000 to Woonallee, Furner SA.
Nehill N377 ranked in the top one pc for all four indices as well as 200, 400, and 600-day growth and carcase weight, and in the top five pc for gestation length and milk.
Woonallee's Tom Baker has been on the outlook for a high performance angus sire to compliment their SimAngus program.
"Nehill N377 had the phenotype we were looking for with great structure, great feet, exceptional muscling, he is thick and deep and has the performance figures to back up his phenotype" Mr Baker said.
Leading the volume buyers TRT pastoral purchased 12 bulls for their King Island operations and 4 bulls for their Mansfield operations.
Manger of the TRT King Island operations Cody Whiteman said the Te Mania bulls fit with their breeding objectives with a focus on increasing carcase quality.
"We are looking to add fat cover and IMF into our cattle and the Te Mania bulls are doing that" Mr Whiteman said.
Also amongst the volume buyers was Mark Johns who purchased 11 bulls for his Cobden based heifer trading enterprise.
"We buy in quality lines of weaner heifers, grow them out join them to Te Mania bulls and market them PTIC."
"Marketing heifers that are joined to Te Mania bulls is certainly an attraction for the purchasers" Mr Johns said.
Commenting post sale Te Mania director Hamish McFarlane said it was a solid sale all things considered wth a number of Te Mania clients facing adverse seasonal conditions.
"The bulls presented well and represented good value throughout the sale with a couple of seedstock syndictes operating on the top end, and commercial clients able to find the right bulls to fit with their breeding program very affordably" Mr McFarlane said.
Mr McFarlane thanked the strong return support and also made not of the number of new buyers showing interest in the Te Mania breeding program.
The sale was conducted by Elders with guest auctioneer Brain Leslie wielding the gavel.