THIS year's buoyant run of winter bull sales continued at Monterey stud's winter fixture at Brunswick last week, with an eventual total clearance and much-improved values some of the sale highlights.
The Buller family and the Monterey team, Karridale and Scott River, penned a top catalogue of Angus and Murray Grey bulls which attracted strong buying support from the South West and throughout WA, stretching from Esperance to Kalgoorlie to Port Hedland, along with some interstate interest.
The sale was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus.
The team of 49 well-grown and performed sires reflected the Monterey brand with plenty of comments heard before the sale praising the line-up of bulls.
Monterey's winter bull sale marks the final bull sale for 2020 and with the traditional joining period fast approaching or already underway, the sale provides an ideal opportunity to fill sire requirements and replace any late injured bulls.
At the end of selling, the Elders and Nutrien Livestock selling teams led by auctioneers Nathan King and James Culleton respectively, cleared 46 Angus and Murray Grey bulls (94 per cent) at auction to average $6370.
This marked a significant $1162 lift in the overall average and clearance compared to last year's sale where 36 of 54 bulls (67pc) sold under the hammer to average $5208.
The breed break down saw 26 of 28 Angus bulls (93pc) sell at auction to average $6212, up by $928 from last year' sale where 22 of 30 Angus bulls (73pc) sold to average $5284.
But it was their grey-coated stablemates which retook the sale's average stakes with 20 of the 21 Murray Grey bulls selling under the hammer to average $6575, a rise of $1486 in average from last year where 14 of 24 bulls (58pc) sold at auction to average $5089.
The three bulls overlooked at auction were soon snapped up following the sale to complete a total clearance of the sale team and cap off a successful day for the Monterey team.
The sale's $12,000 top price tag was paid by consistent buyer of numbers at the top-end of the market Mark Forrester, Kanandah station, Kalgoorlie, for one of three bulls secured at the sale.
Mr Forrester's top bid was reserved for the first bull offered to commence the sale's second run of Murray Greys Monterey Prophet P58, an outstanding silver son of Ayr Park Honda H57 and a Monterey Majestic Boy daughter Monterey Annabelle E225.
The mid-April 2018 born bull rocked the scales to 972kg with other raw data of 6.2 frame score (FS), 42cm scrotal circumference (SC) and 112cm2 eye muscle area (EMA).
Prophet also performed strongly with its BreedPlan figures ranking in the top 10pc of the breed for 200 and 400-day growth and carcase weight (CWT), top 10 to 15pc 600-day weight, retail beef yield (RBY) and all index values.
Mr Forrester earlier paid $8000 for a high growth and indexing bull, a late March 2018-drop Monterey Limelight L57 son ranging from top one to 20pc for all index values, top 5pc milk and top 5-15pc for all growth intervals.
Pearce Watling, Elders Donnybrook, bidding via phone for the Buick family, Arki Murray Grey stud, Western Flat, South Australia, paid the sale's $10,500 second top Murray Grey bull price for the second bull to enter the sale ring, Monterey Pharaoh P28.
The grey 870kg early April 2018 born son of Monterey Lord Mayor and a Lindsay Windsor daughter scanned 6.7 FS, 38cm SC and 116cm2 EMA and was equally admired by the Buller family and offered three quarter share and procession.
Also paying five figures for Murray Grey selections was Bill Kingston, Westcoast Livestock Albany, representing P & SA Tomlinson, Napier, who paid to $10,000 for their two silver bulls.
Their top bid was directed to the youngest bull in the catalogue, an end of November 2018 born son of Monterey Hudson H296.
The young 670kg and 6 FS bull ranked in the breed's top 5pc for milk, top 10-15pc for 400 and 600-day weights and top 15-20pc for 200-day weight.
Earlier in the sale the Tomlinsons paid $8000 for a 930kg Monterey Hamersley son, also with a strong spread of performance data.
The most prominent buyer of Murray Grey bulls was Nutrien Livestock pastoral representative Roger Leeds who racked up an account of five bulls at auction paying from $5000 to $6500 and one following the sale with the team of bulls heading to their new home of Bettini Beef, De Grey station, Port Hedland.
Paul Mahony, Nutrien Livestock stud and commercial cattle manager, took a $7000 bid for AuctionsPlus for a silver 934kg Ayr Park Honda son born early June 2018 with exceptionally strong BreedPlan performance across all traits and indexes.
The first of the $10,000 equal top-priced Angus bulls, Monterey Phantom P27, penned in lot two was knocked down to Elders Esperance agent Michael Forward bidding on behalf of consistent top-end Monterey bull buyers Telini Downs, Esperance.
The 930kg stylish deep bodied late March 2018-drop bull was sired by Vermont Duke E193 and out of a Wallaroy Expert daughter Monterey H157 and recorded scan data of 6.4 FS, 42cm SC, 116cm2 and 5.6pc IMF.
Mr Forward later collected another Angus bull costing $6000 which is heading to RC & MH Teasdale, Gibson.
The other $10,000 equal top Angus bull price was paid by Joe and Ross Davies, JP & J Davies, Manypeaks, for the classy early maturing, calving ease bull in lot 14 Monterey Pure Gold P146.
The 888kg mid-June 2018-born son of Monterey General G103 and a Mytty In Focus daughter Monterey Miss Challenge E39 displayed scan results of 6.8 frame score (FS), 45cm scrotal circumference (SC), 114cm2 EMA and 5.4pc IMF.
The Davies family run a self-replacing Angus herd where they target the lotfeeder market direct off-farm with their sale calves.
Joe Davies said they purchased their first Monterey bulls at the stud's summer sale at Karridale earlier in the year but due to a couple of injured bulls during this year's joining, they looked to Monterey's winter fixture for replacements.
The family also purchased another calving ease bull, a 934kg Monterey Lancaster L85 son for $6000 earlier in the sale and Mr Davies said both bulls would go straight into work when they arrived home and were likely to join first and second calvers.
"We are happy with the length of our cows so we look for extra softness and condition in the bulls," Mr Davies said.
"Evenly structured bulls, straight top-end and good feet which is crucial for the Manypeaks area."
The Davies family's February to April-drop calves are sold in late December with last year's steers averaging 375kg at nine to 10-months of age.
Mr Davies said they have tightened up the herd's calving period to six weeks for the maiden heifers and eight to nine weeks for the mature cows and said this had improved the evenness of the calves.
He said while producers were getting paid well for empty and older cows, it's a good opportunity to straighten up breeding herds.
The next highest Angus bull price of $8500 was paid by Busselton grazier RH & SJ Manning for the first bull offered in the sale's second run of black bulls.
The 878kg late June 2018-born son of Millah Murrah Docklands J193 scanned 6.5 FS, 41cm SC, 115cm2 and 5.2pc IMF.
Other higher Angus bull values included $7500 paid for a younger mid-October 2018-born Monterey Monolith M47 son by WT & MC Hurst & Co, Boyanup and a $7000 price tag bid by R & K Phillips and Elders Margaret River agent Alec Williams representing DR & NM Arthur, Rosa Brook.
Multiple Angus bull accounts went to Alcoa Farmlands, Waroona and Wagerup, with two bulls at auction to $6000 and one of the overlooked bulls following the sale while Nutrien Livestock Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper bid for Yackaboon Grazing and Yackaboon Contracting, Williams and Nutrien Livestock Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs was active collecting two bulls each.
The balance of the Angus and Murray Grey bulls were knocked down from $4000 to $6000, seeing buyers of all budgets catered for.
