IT was smiles all round at the conclusion of last week's Liberty Charolais and Shorthorn Yearling Bull Sale at Toodyay, where prices hit a high of $18,000 and the sale averaged jump $3852 on the back of strong buying demand.
In the sale the Yost family offered a very good catalogue of 46 Charolais and Shorthorn bulls that not only showed consistency in phenotype, but also had the genetics and figures to back them up following years of selective breeding and the bulls were certainly appreciated by buyers.
By the conclusion, which was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus, the Elders selling team led by auctioneer Nathan King had achieved an excellent result for the Yost family with 80 per cent of the 46 young sires offered selling to a combination of new and returning buyers from as far Quindalup in the south and north to the Pilbara region as well as across the border into Queensland and South Australia.
The strong buying support for the line-up of bulls didn't just come from the 23 registered buyers in attendance, there was also plenty of interest on AuctionsPlus.
On AuctionsPlus the sale catalogue received 1947 views and there were 29 registered bidders logged into proceedings from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and WA, with three of them placing 65 bids online across 10 lots, which resulted in seven bulls selling via the platform.
All up 37 bulls sold under the hammer to 20 different buyers from the 46 offered at an average of $9027, which meant in comparison to last year the Yosts not only saw their average jump $3852 but they also sold an extra seven bulls.
In last year's sale the stud sold 30 bulls from 39 offered at an average of $5175.
It was the Charolais side of the catalogue that underpinned the sale's strong result when all 29 bulls offered sold for an average of $9707, to be up $4397 on last year when 25 from 31 sold at a $5310 average.
When it came to the Shorthorn line-up there were 17 bulls offered and eight sold under the hammer to a top of $9000 and for an average of $6563, which was up $2063 on the stud's 2021 sale result.
Last year in the sale the Yosts sold five from eight Shorthorn bulls at an average of $4500.
Elders WA stud stock manager Tim Spicer said it was pleasing to see the Yost family achieve a strong result in the sale as they had been working hard towards it for a number of years.
"After years of work and dedication on this sale, the Yosts today saw it starting to pay off," Mr Spicer said.
"They have invested a lot in to genetics and the move to an onfarm sale over the past few years and it was rewarded today, which was great to see.
"It was an even, quality line-up of bulls across both breeds and buyers recognised this.
"The Charolais offering received strong demand from both local and interstate buyers which resulted in prices jumping significantly on last year and a total clearance being achieved.
"When it came to the Shorthorn bulls however buyers were more selective on these.
"Overall the sale results were certainly stronger than our presale expectations."
Equally as pleased with the sale result was the Yost family.
Stud co-principal Kevin Yost said they were extremely happy with how the sale finished up and the final result was well above expectations.
"Not only did we have strong support from our established clients, we also had seven new clients operate which was really pleasing to see," Mr Yost said.
"We were also very happy to see bulls sell to a Queensland commercial operation and a South Australian stud."
With a quality line-up of young Charolais bulls, buyers were strong in their bidding from start to finish, which resulted in eight bulls in the line-up selling for $10,000 or more.
Attracting the most interest was Liberty Springsteen S32 (AI) (P) (R/F) in lot 10.
Mr King took an opening bid of $8000 on the long, thick, soft, March 2021-drop bull from a buyer operating on AuctionsPlus and from then on those in the tent at the sale, just sat and watched on as a bidding battle erupted between two buyers on AuctionsPlus.
Eventually it was High Country Droughtmasters, Esk, Queensland, operating on AuctionsPlus, which prevailed online, purchasing the 582 kilogram, AI-bred bull at the day's $18,000 top price.
The polled Springsteen S32, is a son of Palgrove Nullabor N624 (P) and out of a Token Eatons Flagship F5 daughter, Liberty Koffee Cream K17.
Along with expressing a great shape and muscle pattern in the pens and in its video, Springsteen S32, had the carcase estimated breeding values (EBVs) to match, ranking in the top 5pc of the breed for eye muscle area (EMA) and top 10pc for rib and rump fat.
In terms of its raw data it had scans of 105cm2 for EMA, 8mm for both P8 and rib fat and 4.8pc for intramuscular fat (IMF).
Along with purchasing the top-priced bull, High Country Droughtmasters went on to purchase another three Charolais bulls to finish with a team of four at an average of $11,500.
It purchased Liberty Stagecoach S69 (P), which is by Liberty Pathfinder P40 (P) at $11,000 and Liberty Salzburgh S31 (P) (TW), which is by Kooyong Mike M33 (P), at $9500.
The 570kg Stagecoach S69 ranks in the top 10pc for IMF and top 20pc for rib and rump fat and had raw scans of 100cm2 EMA, 7mm P8 fat, 6mm rib fat and 5.2pc IMF.
Salzburgh S31, which weighed in at 568kg, ranks in the top 10pc for calving ease daughters and rib and rump fat, plus top 20pc gestation length (GL) and top 25pc birthweight (BWT), EMA and IMF.
Buyer Paul Laycock said the Liberty bulls really appealed to them not only on the body style and structure but also the considerable figures behind them.
"Also the complete semen testing including morphology was essential," Mr Laycock said.
"The Yost family provided great support through out the investigation stages and already their after sales service has been brilliant.
"With more than 400 commercial breeders to join next year these yearling bulls will have time to grow, develop and be ready to do a great job.
"We are excited and proud to add these new genetics to our terminal sire range."
The March 2021-drop, Liberty Secret Agent S35 (AI) (P) (R/F), sold for the sale's second top price of $16,000 when it was knocked down to return buyers Tom and Jamie O'Byrne, O'Byrne & Co, Quindalup.
Jamie O'Byrne said the 644kg bull was a well put together sire with a reasonably low birthweight and good growth figures.
"We really liked his depth and length plus he had good width across the rump," Mr O'Byrne said.
"He was our first pick."
The homozygous polled, AI-bred Elder's Blackjack 788B (P) son ranks in the top 1pc for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, mature cow weight (MCW) and CWT as well as top 5pc for scrotal size (SS) and rib and rump fat.
It also ranks in the top 1pc for northern maternal index and top 10pc for domestic terminal index
The O'Byrnes join about 200 breeders, which are predominantly first-cross Angus-Friesians, annually for an extended calving that runs from the end of January to the end of May.
They market 50pc of their calves as vealers while the rest are run through to 18 months of age and sold off grass as trade weights.
Mr O'Byrne said they liked buying from the Yost family because they identify and use good genetics that produce bulls to suit the commercial producer.
"Their bulls are very quiet, which makes them easy and safe to work with," Mr O'Byrne said.
The next best price was $15,000 bid by return buyers Kim and Kerrie Dunnet, OM Dunnet & Co, Nannup and Scott River, who like buying from Liberty because of the temperament of the bulls and the style of bulls the stud breeds.
"They breed good shaped bulls which produce calves with good carcases," Mr Dunnet said.
"They also breed a type of Charolais that has above average fat cover which is important to us for producing a grass finished product."
The Dunnets went to $15,000 for the September 2020-drop Liberty Rhinestone Cowboy R117 (AI) (P), which is sired by Elder's Blackjack 788B (P).
Rhinestone Cowboy R117 has a great set of EBVs which rank it in the top 1pc for 600-day weight and top 5pc for 200 and 400-day weights, SS, CWT, rib fat and the northern maternal index.
Mr Dunnet said the 750kg bull was a compact type and not the conventional type the family would normally buy.
"We diversified our program in recent years to suit emerging markets," Mr Dunnet said.
"We used to sell the majority of our calves as vealers, but now along with selling vealers we are also holding a large percentage over and carrying them through to 18 months old and marketing them off grass as tradeweight.
"Therefore we needed a bull to go over large framed second-cross females to produce a grassfed product and I think this bull's compact type suits those requirements.
"He also has beautiful fat cover which we also need for our herd of first-cross and second-cross Angus-Friesian breeders."
This year the Dunnets are looking to join 700 breeders for a mid January to end of May calving.
The Couper family, Couper Bros, Dowerin, who has bought previously from the stud, was also strong in its bidding going to $11,500 and $7000 for its two purchases.
The Coupers secured a LT Venture 3198 son, Liberty Salt Bush Bill S10 (AI) (P), at the $11,500 price tag.
The homozygous polled, March 2021-drop youngster is in the top 1pc for milk and rib fat as well as top 5pc for 400-day weight, CWT, rump fat and the northern maternal index.
The Coupers will use the two bulls in their 130-head breeding herd which comprises Angus-Santa Gertrudis and Santa Gertrudis females.
Along with the four bulls heading across the border to Queensland, there will also be another sire heading east as a result of Liberty Shadow Boxer S12 (AI) (P) selling at $11,000 to a stud operating on AuctionsPlus from Loxton, South Australia.
The homozygous polled Palgrove Nullabor N624 son, which weighed 586kg and scanned 112cm2 for EMA, ranks in the top 5pc for calving ease direct, calving ease daughters and GL plus top 10pc for BWT, EMA and rib fat.
After missing out on the top-priced bull an AuctionsPlus, a buyer from Mingenew secured two bulls.
It paid $10,000 for a Liberty Left Bank L6 son that is in the top 10pc for IMF and $8500 for a ANC Laois son that is in the top 15pc for retail beef yield.
The final bull to make five figures was a Rangan Park Redemption E42 son, Liberty S57 (P), when it sold at $10,500 to Allondale Farms.
The volume buyer in the Charolais run was return buyer Thistledo Pty Ltd, Red Gully, which purchased with the assistance of Nutrien Livestock, Pilbara and Gascoyne agent Shane Flemming.
It purchased six bulls to a top of $9500 three times and an average of $8750.
Thistledo manager Graham McKail said the enterprise ran a large breeding herd consisting of Droughtmaster and Angus females and the bulls would be used over both types.
"We like crossbreeding with Charolais as it opens up the marketing options for our calves," Mr McKail said.
"Using Charolais bulls helps us put more bone into our calves which opens up more markets.
"We also like the Charolais breed for its good temperament and muscle patterns."
The next biggest buyer, just one bull shy of Thistledo, was the Cripps family, Gabyon station, Yalgoo, who purchased five bulls to a top of $9500 twice and an average of $8900.
The team of 17 Shorthorn bulls rounded out the sale and the eight that sold under the hammer went to five different homes.
Achieving the $9000 top price tag in the offering was Liberty Stockman S8 in lot 36 when it was knocked down to return buyer Don Hammarquist, who runs a property at Walkaway as well as Mt Augustus station in the Upper Gascoyne.
Mr Hammarquist said Stockman S8 was a well-fleshed bull that moved well.
"Not only does he look good in the flesh but he also has an outstanding set of figures across the board," Mr Hammarquist said.
The February 2021-drop, 540kg, homozygous polled bull is a son of Crooked Post Stockman 4Z and Narralda Laura L017.
Along with showing a good phenotype, Stockman S8, also has an exceptional set of Expected Progeny Difference (EPDs) for growth and carcase traits.
It ranks in the top 1pc of the breed for yield grade (YG), top 2pc for weaning weight (WW) and yearling weight (YW), top 3pc for maternal weaning weight (MWWT) and rib eye area (REA) as well as top 15pc for docility (DOC) and top 25pc for carcase weight (CWT).
It also had raw scan figures of 107cm2 EMA, 10mm for P8 and rib fat and 5.2pc IMF.
Along with securing Stockman S8, Mr Hammarquist also purchased two other Shorthorn bulls - one at the run's second top price of $8500 and another at $5000.
Mr Hammarquist went to $8500 on Crathes R9, which is a May 2020-drop son of Crathes Hastings H42.
It ranks in the top 2pc for marbling (MARB), top 10pc for DOC and top 20pc for fat, while it had raw scans of 123cm2 EMA, 17mm P8 fat, 13mm rib fat and 5.8pc IMF
Stockman S8 and Crathes R9 are destined for Mr Hammarquist's Walkaway property.
There they will be used in his herd of 100 Shorthorn breeders with the aim of breeding bulls to use at the station where he runs 2500 Shorthorn breeders.
The majority of steer and heifer calves from the station are sold into the feedlot market.
Mr Hammarquist is a big supporter of the Shorthorn breed having run Shorthorn cattle in the main for 50 years at Mt Augustus.
"We always had Shorthorns on the station and I like them because of their market versatility and maternal traits," Mr Hammarquist said.
"We have tried other breeds on and off over the years but we keep coming back to the Shorthorn because of their versatility."
The third highest price in the Shorthorn bulls was $7000 bid up by the Quilty family, Elgin Park stud, Elgin, for an ET-bred Sprys Boom Time M222 and Narralda Robin L101 son, Liberty Silverado S17.
The 474kg bull ranks in the top 3pc for REA and CWT, tpo 4pc for WW and top 10pc YW, MWWT.
The Quiltys also purchased one of the passed in Shorthorn bulls post sale at $5000.
Outside Mr Hammarquist there was only one other multiple lot buyer in the Shorthorn run and that was Alan Peggs, who carried a buying order for first time buyer Ninghan Station Pty Ltd, Wubin.
Mr Peggs purchased two bulls for Ninghan station, which has a Devon based breeding herd, at $6000 and $5000.
He said the station had been using Droughtmaster bulls but decided to purchase some Shorthorn sires to breed replacement females and to also allow it to market their calves into the domestic market.
The two other Shorthorn bulls to sell made $6000 selling to S & M Sudholz, Piawanning and Gabalong Farms, Moora.
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