Lawsons Angus in demand at yearling bull sale

A total clearance and an improved average from last year's corresponding fixture echoed the strong demand from throughout the country for Lawsons Angus genetics.

The sale was a helmsman format online on AuctionsPlus and after two hours of bidding, all 45 young high indexing bulls in the quality catalogue had found new homes for an impressive average of $12,664.

This marked a slight increase in average of $251 from last year's sale where again all 45 bulls sold under the online helmsman system for a $12,413 average.

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While the sale was online only, a good crowd turned out to Lawsons Angus representatives Bevan and Rebecca Ravenhill's property to inspect the bulls and watch the event on the big screen, while bidding on their own devices.

It was conducted by Independent Rural Agents (IRA) Pemberton and Elders Albany and leading into the sale, the catalogue received 1744 online views which yielded 54 buyers to register, along with 25 viewers.

At the completion of selling, 23 active buyers placed a total of 643 online bids which saw bulls sell locally and interstate to Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.

IRA principal Colin Thexton said it was another outstanding result for Lawsons Angus with an excellent turnout at the sale and the day prior to inspect the bulls.

"Strong local and interstate buying support rewarded the Lawsons Angus brand and its breeding objectives focusing on IMF and EMA," Mr Thexton said.

"They are among the top indexing bulls in Australia with calving ease and growth and carcase traits demanded by consumers to produce high quality cuts of beef off grass or grain."

Mr Thexton purchased 20 bulls on behalf of clients in Pemberton, Northcliffe, South Coast, Boyup Brook/Mayanup and Balingup.

Elders Albany agent Wayne Mitchell agreed it was a very good result.

"It was great to see a lot of return and new buyers at the sale," Mr Mitchell said.

"Most bulls in the catalogue were higher indexing and suitable to use over heifers and they sold accordingly.

"Most of the local buyers were return buyers with new and return interstate interest.

"A good day was had by all."

Lawsons Home Town T1560 had big wraps, described as a complete bull with standout genetic predictions and phenotype and stud sire potential with Lawsons Angus retaining its semen marketing rights (50pc revenue share).

The mid-March 2022-drop bull by United States sire GAR Home Town and a VAR Index 3282 daughter Lawsons Index R1558, lived up to its lofty expectation when it sold for the $17,000 top price to a South Australian buyer at Mt Gambier.

The bull is a double curve bender with breed leading indexes, strong growth, calving ease with below average mature cow weight.

It ranked in the breed's top 1-3pc across nine of the 10 selection indexes (top 5pc heavy grass low feed cost $GS-L) including top 1pc Angus breeding index ($A) and heavy grain index ($GN) and top 2pc domestic index ($D) and heavy grass index ($GS).

The low birthweight (top 20pc) and calving ease (top 14pc CE Dir) bull still recorded top 16-18pc for 200 and 400-day weights (DW), top 2pc eye muscle area (EMA), top 12pc marbling (IMF), top 17pc carcase weight (CW) and top 23pc retail beef yield (RBY).

GAR Home Town's sons continued to feature strongly in the top prices.

These included the $16,500 second top price paid by a Victorian buyer at Korumburra, which had similar breeding to the top-priced bull being out of another VAR Index 3282 daughter, a two-year-old heifer Lawsons Index R1518.

The March 19, 2022, born bull was also a high indexing and growth bull with below average birthweight and calving ease, ranking in the top 2-12pc for all 10 indexes including top 2pc $GN and top 3pc $A with top 9pc EMA and IMF and top 15-21pc 200 and 400-DW.

This buyer finished with three bulls costing an average of $14,000.

Another Home Town son out of a Te Mania Montalto M1314 two-year-old daughter, Lawsons Montalto R1548, sold for the next highest price of $16,000 to a Dandaragan buyer.

The mid-March 2022-drop bull's indexes were off the charts ranking in the top 1-3pc for all selection indexes including the highest ranked bull in the sale for $D (top 2pc of breed) and ranked second for $A (top 1pc), while also recording performance in the top 15-28pc for all weight intervals, top 19pc days to calving (DTC), top 3pc EMA, top 8pc IMF, top 14pc RBY and top 19-21pc for CE traits.

The next highest priced bull of $15,500 was catalogued deep into sale in lot 33 and was one of three bulls purchased by a long-term Boyup Brook client.

The younger, late April 2022 born bull was by influential Lawsons bred sire Momentous M518 and out of a GAR Ashland daughter Lawsons Ashland R1593.

While not extreme in any traits, it did record a strong even spread of above average performance highlighted by top 5pc IMF, top 7pc EMA, top 12pc Angus terminal sire index ($T) and top 16pc $GN.

The $15,000 price tag was recorded on two occasions for sons of Home Town.

A Denmark buyer, who collected two bulls, paid $15,000 for the sale team leader, a mid-March 2022 born bull out of a GAR Sunrise daughter, Lawsons Sunrise P53, which was another high indexing calving ease bull ranked in the breed's top 16pc for both calving ease traits from a top 12pc BW, top 8pc IMF and top 14pc EMA while on the index front it ranked top 2-12pc for all traits including the fifth highest ranked bull in the sale for $D, eighth for $A and 10th for $GN (all top 2pc of breed).

Another long-term Lawsons Angus supporter from the Boyup Brook region sourced two Home Town sons at strong values costing $15,000 and $14,000.

Their top price was paid for a mid-March 2022 born bull out of a GAR Method daughter Lawsons Method P263 and was another bull to record strong spread of performance from a lower birthweight (top 20pc) including top 12pc GL, top 27pc CE Dtrs and 200-DW, top 10pc IMF, top 11pc EMA and on the index front, top 8pc $GN, top 11pc $T and top 14pc $A and heavy grain low cost feed index ($GN-L).

Other buyers to pay $14,000 plus for their selections were a young Pemberton buyer who outlaid $14,300 for a high indexing late April 2022 born bull by Home Town and a GAR Prophet/Lawsons Bartel E7 L27 daughter.

From moderate BW (top 23pc) and CE (top 29-33pc) its indexes ranked in the top 1-11pc across all traits including number two ranked bull in the sale for $GN (top 1pc), equal third for $A (top 1pc) and $D (top 2pc), top 2pc $GS and also ninth ranked bull for IMF (top 4pc) and top 11pc EMA.

A long term Manypeaks buyer paid $14,000 for a late April 2022-born bull by GAR Genuine and Lawsons Incredible L100, again a lower BW (top 10pc) and calving ease bull (top 21pc CE Dir) with high indexes ranked in the top 10-19pc across all markers.