IT was a positive start to the 2019/20 bull selling season with the Bell family, Bardoo Charolais stud, Elgin, averaging $5370 under the Elders hammer at last week's annual on-property sale.
The quality, grassfed bulls were offered for sale through the Helmsman auction system to astute commercial cattle breeders.
Comprehensive research into genetics to ensure progeny are going to provide clients with attributes they are looking for, resulted in a top price of $9000 and an average increase of $177 when 23 out of the 29 bulls offered were sold.
Fifteen registered buyers appreciated the paddock-raised youngsters who had been semen tested (morphology tested), BVDV tested and JBAS 8 biosecurity scored, with the bids never wavering and coming in steady flows.
Elders WA stud stock manager Tim Spicer said in the current environment it was a really good sale.
"The sale clearance and average were up on last year, as were the buyer registrations," Mr Spicer said.
"I think there has been a slight shift in beef producers' mindset, with many chasing more paddock run bulls.
"With the Bell family still investing heavily in genetics, regular clients were back to purchase the extremely quiet sale team which had depth of quality.
"Three loyal clients bought 11 bulls between them, which shows the Bell family's Charolais genetics are delivering."
Purchasing the $9000 top-priced bull was return top price buyer David Reid, DB Reid Family Trust, Nillup.
It was the second consecutive year Mr Reid had secured an elite sire from the Bell family, with his father having had great success with their genetics for many years.
The moderate framed, well-muscled sire, Bardoo P16E (AI), expressed EBVs of -2.5 for gestation length, +1.3 for birthweight, +10 for milk and 200, 400 and 600 day weights of +19, +44 and +62.
Weighing in at 792kg, the well-balanced son of LT Venture 3198 recorded raw data figures of 9mm P8 fat, 8mm for rib fat, 123cm2 for EMA and 4.6 for IMF.
Mr Reid said he had stuck to Bardoo genetics because the carcase weights from their progeny were too good not to.
"The January born sire's raw data figures were well above his sale counterparts and were ideally suited to the production system I have in place," Mr Reid said.
He sells all of his vealers directly to Woolworths and is slowly making the shift to using Charolais bulls over his herd of 100 first-cross Angus and Hereford females, joining Angus sires to his heifers only.
Bidding to $7750 for a Bardoo Muscle Man M18E son was regular local buyer H & A Norton & Son, Capel.
The Nortons secured the February 2018-drop sire with an average birthweight of +2.8, 200, 400 and 600 day weights of +27, +52 and +69, milk +7, EMA +1.2, +0.5 IMF and positive rib and rump figures.
Neighbouring farmers AW & BK Turner, Capel, had their eye on lot 28, Bardoo P145E (P), and snapped up the popular bull for $6750.
Sired by Bardoo Manpower M5E, the growthy youngster weighed 688kg and record raw data of 6mm for fats, 122cm2 for EMA and 3.5 for IMF.
Volume return buyer, MH Collins, Nyabing, once again put together the biggest team of six bulls, paying $6500 for lot 27, a son of Bardoo Machine M17E and $6000 for lot 29, a son of Raile Sovereign J827.
At the end of the sale the Collins family had averaged $5417 for their specially selected sires and had purchased Barry and Dot Bell's grandson's first sale bull, Bardoo P6E (AI) (P) for $5250.
KS & EN Roberts & Son, Elgin, found what they came for when they secured a 720kg sire which appealed to many for its depth of hindquarter for $6500.
FR & LF Prosser, Scott River, assisted by Elders Nannup agent Terry Tarbotton, were back for more Bardoo bulls, taking home two at a top of $5750.
Pinjarra producer BT Venn secured a single sire for $5500 and Saunders Beach, Donnybrook, paid $5250 for one.
C & C Midson, Roelands, pencilled in lot 22 for $5250 on their catalogue, while long-term supporters of Bardoo genetics, S & JM Hayes, Cookernup, took home three sires at $4000 each.
Paying $5000 for a single sires were Kahlia Holdings, Walsall and RA & RE Gerovich, Drome, while snapping up bulls for the $4000 reserve price tag was Oakview Farm, Dardanup and return buyer MJ & CH Bleechmore, Boyup Brook.
