QUANDEN Springs Angus stud's quality and quiet motto lived up to its name and was exactly what the Stoney family provided in its quality line-up of Angus sires at its on-property sale at Redmond on Monday.
Hosting its fifth on-property sale, the family offered 24 well-presented Angus sires that proved to be highly sought-after.
The registered buyers list was predominantly made up of local return buyers as well as some fresh faces that travelled to Redmond to secure Quanden Springs genetics and soak up the friendly Stoney family hospitality.
Good buyer support and spirited bidding saw prices reach $12,000 and an under the hammer average of $7786, which was down $1233 on last year's sale, although there were less bulls offered this year.
Of the bulls offered, 21 of 24 sold during the sale with some selling privately after the sale's completion.
Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Tiny Holly was very pleased with the outcome.
"The bulls were presented very well and they continue to improve year-by-year," Mr Holly said.
"The top price this year was a slightly lesser value, although the great bull figures encouraged buyers to bid with confidence."
Mr Holly said it was clear that buyers knew what they wanted.
"The average was slightly back on last year's sale but there were less bulls in this year's sale," he said.
"A big credit to the Stoney family who show passion for their stud as well as the Angus breed."
An Esslemont General N12 son caught the crowd's attention with Mr Holly and the Nutrien Livestock selling team taking bids from left right and centre.
Quanden Springs Shiner S64 sold for the sale's top-price of $12,000 to Les and Julie Male, LJ & JA Male, Albany.
The March 2021-drop bull is out of Lawsons Prophet N1647 and it had estimated breeding values (EBVs) of +6.8 direct calving ease (Dir), -1.6 gestation length (GL), +3.8 birthweight (BWT), +56, +103 and +140 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +104 mature cow weight (MCW), +26 milk, -0.4 scrotal size (SS), +27 docility (DOC), -4.8 days to calving (DTC), +84 carcase weight (CWT), +13.6 eye muscle area (EMA), -3.2 and -4.0 for rib and rump fats, +2.5 retail beef yield (RBY),L+1.1 intramuscular fat (IMF) and +0.28 for net feed intake (NFI-F).
These figures rank Shiner S64 in the top one per cent for RBY, top 2pc for EMA, top 3pc for milk, top 9pc for CWT, top 11pc for 600-day weight, top 17pc for 400-day weight and top 16pc for Dir.
The Male family is a return buyer and Ms Male said they were big fans of the Quanden Springs genetics.
"We have had excellent problem-free calvings since using the Stoney family's bulls," Ms Male said.
"It's great buying locally and we have had excellent results with Noel and Robyns bulls.
"We were selecting mainly on calving ease figures and quiet temperament that the bulls have."
Ms Male said they planned to bull the bull over a mob of 40 Angus heifers to calve around February next year.
The two equal second top-priced bulls were knocked down at $11,500 each to Nutrien Livestock, Albany agent, Terry Zambonetti.
Mr Zambonetti secured the first bull, Quanden Springs Skipper S45 from pen nine.
The February 2021-drop bull was sired by Quanden Springs Pemberley P30 and out of Lawsons Anticipation M1690.
It has EBVs of +4.7 Dir, -5.5 GL, +3.6 BWT, +61, +109 and +138 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights,+122 MCW, +16 milk, +3.4 SS, +19 DOC, -6.5 DTC, +76 CWT, +10.6 EMA, -3.7 and -3.2 for rib and rump fats, +1.6 RBY, +0.2 IMF and +0.22 NFI-F.
It ranks in the top 3pc for RBY, top 9pc for 200-day weight, top 8pc for 400-day weight, top 9pc for NFI-F, top 10pc for SS, DTC, EMA, top 12pc for 600-day weight, top 17pc for MCW.
The other equal second top-priced bull Mr Zambonetti took home was Quanden Springs Phoenix S33 which is a son of G A R Phoenix and out of Esslemont Lazz L16.
The February 2021-drop bull has EBVs of +7.4 Dir, -3.0 GL, +3.4 BWT, +64, +114 and +155 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +112 MCW, +24 for milk, +2.4 SS, +19 for DOC, -6.0 DTC, +95 CWT, +7.1 EMA, -1.1 and -1.0 for rib and rump fats, +0.5 RBY, +3.0 IMF and -0.15 NFI-F.
Phoenix ranks in the top 2pc for CWT, top 3pc for 600-day weight, top 4pc for 400-day weight, top 5pc for 200-day weight, top 7pc for milk, top 13pc for DIR, top 17pc for DTC and top 13pc for NFI-F.
Mr Zambonetti said he was selecting for ease of calving and milk figures.
"I have set aside a group of heifers to mate," he said.
"In terms of milk, I will mate the heifers with the second bull (Quanden Springs Phoenix S33) and keep some heifer progeny from them."
He will use Quanden Springs Pemberley P30 to go over some of his younger cows that are third and fourth calvers.
"I also selected the good feet and good temperament that both bulls had," Mr Zambonetti said.
Lancelin Nominees Pty Ltd, Albany, purchased a quality $11,000 sire, Quanden Springs Paratrooper S17.
The Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 son ranks in the top 3pc for GL, top 4pc for 200 and 400-day weights, top 6pc in 600-day weight, top 8pc CWT, top 12pc MCW, top 15pc NFI-F and top 17pc for EMA.
New buyers from Porongorup, KN & RM Dewar, secured Quanden Springs Seattle S22 for $10,500, which was also sired by the mighty Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15.
Seattle ranks in the top 6pc for Dir, top 2pc BWT, top 9pc for milk, top 4pc in DOC, top 8pc EMA, top 6pc for RBY, top 13pc GL, top 13pc for 400-day weight, top 14pc for SS and top 17pc for NFI-F.
The volume buyer at the sale was a local Albany account, AJ Forbes.
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It secured three bulls, Quanden Springs Sizzler S9 ($9000), Quanden Springs Sunshine S31 ($7500) and Quanden Springs Spence S66 ($5000), averaging $7167.
Happy sale vendors, post-sale were stud co-principals Noel and Robyn Stoney.
"We think the sale went very well, we are pleased with the result" Mr Stoney said.
"The bulls presented very well considering the windy conditions we had which was good to see," Ms Stoney said.
The couple is focused on bringing in good genetics based around calving ease, temperament and structure.
"We are bringing in more and more Millah Murrah Paratrooper and Baldridge Compass genetics, as they are half brothers," Mr Stoney said.
Ms Stoney said they were also aiming to breed good-footed animals too.
