THE second annual WA Red and White Boer goat production sale was held at Margaret River, with Arthur Rivers Basildene Reds Red Boer stud co-principals and brothers David and Martin Kain, along with Marion Cahill and Allan Shimmon, Maranal Farm, Nungarin, offering an outstanding line-up of stud and commercial bucks and does.
A catalogue of 24, June 2017 to October 2022-drop bucks and 32 August 2017 to August 2022-drop stud and commercial does, along with two wethers, was offered.
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The Basildene stud offered six bucks, selling to a 100 per cent clearance, an average of $633 and to a top of $1250.
Maranal Farm put up 18 bucks and sold 11 under the hammer at an average of $505 and a top of $550, as well as 32 stud and commercial does, of which 27 sold for a $532 average, and a $925 top.
The sale attracted both in-person and online interest via the AuctionsPlus platform, with South West buyers enjoying the vendors' hospitality.
On AuctionsPlus 24 guests logged in, which resulted in one interstate buyer actively placing 35 bids across 11 lots.
Elders stud stock representative Michael O'Neill said the sale went very well.
"The goat quality from both vendors was exceptional," Mr O'Neill said.
"The result was better than I anticipated due to how challenging the goat processing market is at the moment.
"The competition was good and the interstate buyers via AuctionsPlus added another competitor to the auction."
Mr O'Neill said it was positive to see that the does sold well.
"The aim is to get females out in the paddock to grow the industry in WA and it was good to see that today," he said.
Taking out the sale's top price honours was a $1250 buck, BRRT0024, offered by the Basildene Reds Red Boer stud in lot 18, which sold to Zac Mostert, ZL Mostert, Redmond.
The thick, well-presented, October 2022-drop buck is a son of Armadown N7004 RCARN7004 and out of Maranal Farm Amanda MFAM0348.
Mr Mostert is a second time buyer and said that the buck stood very well.
"He has a nice thickness through his chest, which is something I look for," Mr Mostert said.
"His registration was a big thing for me but overall he is a very even buck."
In the Basildene buck offering, Geraldton buyer, Melinda Norman paid $550 for an unregistered buck that was sired by Maranal Farm Duke MFRQ0893 and out of BR210039.
The remaining Basildene Red bucks were purchased by the sale's volume buyers Tim and Chris Higham, Meedo Station, Carnarvon.
The Carnarvon buyers bought four of the Basildene bucks, all at $500 each.
Ms Higham said they were selecting good meat and carcase traits to put across the Rangeland breed of does that they run on their property.
"They are very well adapted to our environment and are a really hardy animal but they are generally a leaner breed of goat," Ms Higham said.
"The bucks we purchased add a meat component along with faster growth, which means we will get a heavier carcase."
The Highams use the majority of their young goats within their meat business, Mundillya Homestead, Carnarvon, which was established in 2014 and has been growing ever since.
"We sell meat, pies and a range of other goat meat products as well," Ms Higham said.
"We supply a fishing charter boat with goat curry each week and sell our ready-to-heat-and-eat pies, goat packs and meat at local markets."
The business offers various flavours of curries and meat packs from satay to a chilli con carne mix to utilise their goat meat on all fronts.
"In 2021, we entered the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition, winning gold for our Moroccan pie and silver for our Ploughman's pie," she said.
"Overall, we are aiming to improve genetics with a heavier animal that is faster growing than the Rangelands breed."
Maranal Farm offered a registrable Red Boer buck that sold for $550 to New South Wales buyer, Ian Gilmore.
The August 2022-drop, twin born buck is a son of Strzboer Red P1828 SZBRP1828 and out of Maranal Farm Charisma MFRP0695.
The female offering of the catalogue was offered by Maranal Farm entirely.
The top-priced stud doe sold for $925 to Sarah Cook, Timlen Boer Goats, Harvey.
The deep, well-shaped, registered red Boer doe was born as a twin out of Maranal Farm Cherry MFRP 0725 and was sired by Armadown Ned RCARN7069.
Ms Cook is a return buyer and said she was impressed by the structure and type of the doe.
"She holds herself very well and is very quiet and easy to handle, which is big for us," Ms Cook said.
"Although we focus on the general appearance when selecting goats, we also select based on the goats head, horns, udder, feet structure, teat and general frame."
Timlen Boer Goats also purchased a doe for $800.
The registered stud doe was born as a triplet and is a daughter of Strzboer Red P1828 SZBRP1828 and is out of Maranal Farm Dasy MFRQ 0849.
Ms Cook purchased four does, one being a fullblood, to an average of $719.
New South Wales buyer, Mr Gilmore proceeded to bid successfully during the sale, taking home six registered Red Boer does at an average of $704 and to a top of $800, three times.
His first $800 purchase was a twin-born doe, while the second was a triplet-born, both sired by Armadown Ned RCARN7069, while the last $800 doe is a daughter of Strzboer Red P1828 SZBRP1828.
Margot Rock, Nannup, was also a fan of the Maranal does, purchasing six in total, four registered and two commercials, for an average of $463 and a top of $500, four times.
Sale vendors, David Kain and Ms Cahill, were both very pleased with the result of the sale and how well both their studs performed.
"I thought the stud reflected current market values," Mr Kain said.
"It was great to see the bucks sell and it was great to see the Maranal does sell well too.
"Overall I was happy with our clearance, people are after the females so it was positive to see them sell."
Mr Kain also said they were slowly building up the meat carcase traits in the Basildene herd.
"We want to improve survivability as well as the meat aspect of the breeding and a quicker growth too," he said.
"We believe the meat contender will improve productivity."
Ms Cahill was equally happy with the sale result.
"I was very pleased," Ms Cahill said.
The two studs also announced they had purchased one of WA's first meat contender bucks from the Eastern States to benefit both their commercial breeding herds.
"This buck will help improve the commercial market in WA," Ms Cahill said.
"I will be putting a few stud does to the buck, but I will mostly breed commercial does with this meat contender buck."
Maranal Farm is now starting to breed a small herd of fullblood black Boer goats that will be presented in next year's sale.
The two studs will produce new progeny for the sale next year.
Both studs would like to thank all the buyers and underbidders for their support.
"It is much appreciated," Mr Kain and Ms Cahill said.
