IMPROVING its average from the inaugural on-property bull sale last year signalled Sheron Farm Angus is heading in the right direction.
The Sheron Farm team held its second annual bull sale at Benger recently, hosting a big crowd of buyers and onlookers who were treated to warm hospitality, a constantly improving line-up of grassfed Angus bulls and a custom built selling facility set on the Darling Scarp with million-dollar views of the coastal plain.
The catalogue of 27 well-grown grassfed bulls attracted spirited bidding on selected lots with values topping at $9500 and several bulls selling from $6000 to $8000.
But with the stud still building its client base, competition softened, resulting in bulls finding homes at good value for money while some bulls were overlooked.
As the final bull walked through the ring, the Landmark selling team had cleared 20 of the 27 bulls at auction (74 per cent) to average $4875.
Compared to last year's inaugural sale where 23 of 31 bulls (74pc) sold at auction, the average jumped $505 from $4370.
Landmark auctioneer Tiny Holly said the stud achieved a solid result for its second sale with the top end of the sale exceeding expectation.
"It was an improvement on last year's sale average with extra buying support from the Wheatbelt, Esperance and north to Pinjarra," he said.
"The genetics they have invested in are being recognised by buyers who are realising the Sheron Farm bulls are grassfed and presented in their true working clothes.
"The genetics and the stud themselves back the bulls in."
New face to the WA Angus seedstock industry Willarty stud, Coolup, paid the sale's $9500 top price for the first bull into the ring Sheron Farm Nathaniel N14.
The mid-January 2017 born son of Te Mania Emperor E343 and out of a Hazeldean C10 daughter Strathtay Annabelle H106 rocked the scales to 904kg on March 8.
It displayed excellent carcase and growth EBVs ranking as a trait leader for mature cow weight (MCW), top five per cent for all weight intervals and top 10pc for carcase weight to go with a string of well above average indexes and other recorded traits.
Buyer Mervyn Williams established the Willarty stud in 2017 with the purchase of mated females from the Yarramup stud in calf to New Zealand AI sire William Of Stern as the operation moved away from its Shorthorn and Shorthorn-Angus commercial herd to focus on stud Angus breeding.
He said their first Sheron Farm sire had plenty of size and growth.
"We were interested in its mature cow weight to build the size of our cows," Mr Williams said.
"It had good 200, 400 and 600-day weights, IMF and was quiet which is a huge priority for us."
Return buyer Ralph Maiolo, RA & AI Maiolo, bid to the sale's $8000 second top price for one of two bulls.
His top bid went to Sheron Farm Noel N4 in lot four, an 840kg son of Paringa Judd J5 that ticked all the maternal trait boxes.
It is a trait leader for birthweight, top 10pc for calving ease CEdir, top 20-30pc for other calving and gestation traits, top 10pc for milk to go with strong average growth, top 25pc CW, positive fats and top 30pc IMF.
The family's other purchase was another below average birthweight Judd J5 son for $5500.
Mr Maiolo said the bulls were well shaped and suited to heifer joinings.
He said the progeny from their first Sheron Farm bulls purchased last year performed well and encouraged them to return to the sale.
The sizeable Angus operation calves March to April at its Narrogin and Coolup properties and market its October/November weaned calves to feedlotters in December/January.
The next highest price of $6500 was paid by WA College of Agriculture, Cunderdin, for lot 11.
The 786kg below average birthweight son of Pathfinder Genesis G357 and Coonamble F148 was a true curve bender with trait leading performance for scrotal, CW and EMA, top 5-10pc for weight intervals, top 10pc MCW, milk and GL, top 5-15pc for all indexes and top 5pc retail beef yield.
Landmark southern livestock manager Bob Pumphrey, representing Hopetoun grazier Steeredale Farms, paid $6000 for a Coonamble Elevator E11 son while IR & RB Staples, Harvey, paid the same value for a Te Mania Emperor E343 son.
Multiple bull buyers with two bulls each included AD & H Jenkins, Yarloop, paying to $5000, Landmark Margaret River agent Jock Embry on behalf of Pleasant Valley Pastoral Company, Esperance, paying $4000 each and Landmark Brunswick agent Errol Gairdner for $3500 each.
