BUYERS had an opportunity to secure Angus bulls backed by some of the best figures in the Angus breed in Australia at last week's Lawsons Angus bull sale at Cataby and those present did just that.
The sale was the stud's second in WA in just over a week and again the stud, which is celebrating 50 years of breeding in 2020, received good support from return buyers who know the advantages of using Lawsons' genetics in their herds, especially when it comes to fertility and do-ability.
The sale team was packed full of punch with it averaging in the top five per cent of the breed for both the domestic and heavy grainfed indexes and marbling (IMF), as well as top 20pc for 400-day weight and eye muscle area (EMA).
There were also plenty of rock-solid calving ease bulls on offer, with 94pc suitable for heifers, plus the team averaged in the top 13pc for calving ease direct and was around breed average for mature cow weight.
A limited registered buying list meant many of the 49 bulls offered were knocked down by Dairy Livestock Services auctioneer Brian Leslie, Shepparton, Victoria and the Primaries livestock team in a couple of bids and by sale's end they had cleared 35 under the hammer to a top of $7500 and an average of $4929, ensuring a solid result given seasonal conditions.
Mr Leslie said it was a successful sale and the result was realistic given the season and the drop in cow numbers across the country.
"The sale presented a good opportunity for buyers to purchase bulls back with top figures across the board," Mr Leslie said.
"The bulls had tremendous birth and fertility figures as well as top IMF and EMA EBVs, they rank as some of the best in the country.
"There was certainly some value buying here today.
"The Lawson family has been in the industry a long time and knows when they have to meet the market and they did that in this sale.
"In the end the bulls sold at prices where both buyers and the vendor were happy."
Equally realistic about the sale result was Lawsons stud principal Harry Lawson.
"It was a tough day in terms of the clearance, which was lower than what we wanted but it was probably understandable given the dry season and the number of cows which have left the area where our clients for this sale come from," Mr Lawson said.
"On a positive note, the people who did buy were happy with their purchases and the quality of the bulls on offer.
"Many of them have only been buying our genetics a few years, therefore are only just seeing the results coming through into their female lines and many of them commented on the exceptional calving ease and the high fertility they have achieved in the dry season."
Mr Lawson said it was also pleasing to see a number of buyers travelling long distances to the sale for the stud's genetics.
"Our goal is to provide clients with the highest quality genetics in the world at $30-$35 a calf and therefore we think the value of commercial bulls is in the $5000-$7000 range, which we were at the bottom end of today."
With such an even line-up of bulls backed up by top figures, the sale was fairly consistent throughout with no real standout highs.
But one bull, Lawsons Kodak P393 (AI), late in the catalogue, piqued the interest of a few buyers.
Mr Leslie took an opening bid of $4000 on the bull when it was offered in lot 46 and after some quick back and forth, it was knocked down at $7500 to an AuctionsPlus buying order that was later revealed to be return buyers of eight years Andrew and David Richardson, Kentdale Grazing, Denmark, who couldn't make it to the sale in person.
Andrew Richardson said they picked the bull out on its figures then got Independent Rural Agents principal Colin Thexton, Pemberton, to look at it on the day in terms of structure and conformation.
"We liked him for his good allround figures," Mr Richardson said.
"He had high growth and good high dollar indexes for heavy grainfed and domestic.
"He is a well-rounded bull and didn't have any weak points across his figures.
"We were also chasing a new bloodline to be an outcross for our herd and being a Kodak son he ticked that box as well."
The stylish, long bull is a son of Rennylea Kodak K522 and had the equal second highest heavy grainfed index in the catalogue at +$177, which ranks it in the top 5pc of the breed.
It is also in the top 5pc for IMF (+3.5) and the domestic index (+$152), while it had EBVs of +3.7 for birthweight, +7.3 for calving ease direct, +50, +89 and +114 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +61 carcase weight and +6.7 EMA.
Along with the top-priced bull, the Richardsons purchased another three bulls through the AuctionsPlus system.
They paid $7000 for another Rennylea Kodak K522 son which is in the top 5pc of the breed for IMF and calving ease direct as well as the domestic and heavy grainfed indexes.
The operation, which will calve down 1000 Angus breeders in 2020, also secured two Alloura Get Cracking G10 sons at $5500 and $4000 that had massive EMAs of +11.4 and +11.3 ranking them in the top 1pc of the breed.
Mr Richardson said they continued to buy from Lawsons as they liked the stud's method of cattle breeding and because its cattle were all the same.
"They are well rounded cattle with good maternal and terminal traits which suit our operation," he said.
The volume buyer in the sale was Mr Thexton who secured 14 bulls to a top of $6500 and an average of $4538 for a number of his clients in the Mayanup, Balingup and Northcliffe areas as well as a Victorian operation.
Mr Thexton said his clients like the predictability they get with the Lawsons cattle, the strength of the progeny and the weights they can get in their calves.
"The feedback we get from the feedlots and trade, which buy most of the calves, is outstanding and they want them because they perform," he said.
"They are also easy calving cattle and breed top replacement females.
"What you buy is what you get which is also something we like.
"They also provide a three-year back-up on the bulls and if there is a problem they fix it."
Return buyer of three years Zac Roberts, G & Y Roberts, Dandaragan, also wasn't afraid to bid up on the bulls he most wanted for his 600-head Angus breeding herd.
Mr Roberts worked his way through the catalogue and finished the day with six sires which will be used over heifers, to a top of $6000 twice and an average of $5167.
He paid $6000 for a GAR Prophecy son which is in the top 5pc for IMF and the domestic index and for a GAR Momentum son in the top 1pc for EMA (+12.9) and top 5pc for IMF and the domestic index.
Mr Roberts said he liked the Lawsons bulls because they were good heifer bulls and because they were backed by good all-round figures.
The requirement for good heifer bulls is critical to the operation as it keeps all of its heifers and mates them.
Anything that is not in calf and is not structurally right is then sold which Mr Roberts said helped drive fertility in the herd.
Fellow return buyers Peter Barrett-Lennard, PD Barrett-Lennard, Gingin, who purchased at the stud's first sale at Hopetoun back in 2012, purchased four bulls at an average of $4750 with the support of Landmark Gingin agent Greg Neaves.
Mr Barrett-Lennard paid to a top of $6000 for the first bull offered which was sired by Rennylea Kodak K522 and was in the top 5pc for IMF, calving ease direct, heavy grainfed index and domestic index.
Mr Barrett-Lennard, who runs 600 Angus breeders and sells his calves at 12-15 months of age as yearlings to the domestic and export markets, said he liked the fertility and easy calving traits of the Lawsons genetics in combination with their good conformation.
