The solid start to the bull selling season continued, with the Burrow family's Mason Valley stud selling to a high of $12,000 at its on-property sale on Monday.
The sale, now in its third year, attracted a large following of clients who were eager to secure quality genetics.
The sale was interfaced on AuctionsPlus to field interest from local and interstate buyers, adding to the bidding competition.
An exceptionally well-presented line-up of 23 rising two-year-old bulls were displayed which had both impressive Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and visual traits to cover all the Mason Valley clients' breeding requirements.
Nineteen of the 23 bulls offered sold under the hammer, for a clearance of 83 per cent and an average of $7605, which was up $155 on last year's sale.
Sale summary
- (Under the hammer results)
- Offered: 23
- Sold: 19
- Top: $12,000
- Gross: $144,500
- Average: $7605
In comparison, 20 of 23 bulls offered in the stud's 2023 sale sold under the hammer to achieve an average of $7450.
The well-bred sires, carefully picked by the Burrow family, were based on the stud's core values of physical merit in functional, fertile and sound cattle that perform well, and Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Tiny Holly agreed.
"The Burrow family are to be congratulated on the presentation and improvement of their sale team this year," Mr Holly said.
"The passion the family has to produce such a quality team of bulls is great, they should be proud of their hard work.
"I was very impressed with this year's team."
Mr Holly said it was a good steady sale, with both new and existing clients in attendance.
"It was great to see those clients participate and bid," he said.
"Values on the day were on par with my expectations albeit a tad lower on the high end."
Mr Holly said it was great to see an increase in this year's sale average.
"To see this year's average hit $7605, more than $100 up on last year's sale is very positive considering I didn't think we'd see much of that this season," he said.
"Bidders were very selective with their buying to a degree and had their minds set on the lots they wanted.
"It was great to see a sire heading across the Nullarbor to Queensland."
Return buyers, the James family, Stockdale Enterprises, Hyden, secured top-priced honours, paying $12,000 for the pen two gem, Mason Valley 38 Special T65.
The Baldridge 38 Special son, which is out of Mason Valley Ashen N22, had EBVs of +2.3 for birthweight (BWT), +50, +90 and +119 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +3.3 for eye muscle area (EMA), +66 for carcase weight (CWT), +3.2 for intramuscular fat (IMF), +112 for mature carcase weight (MCW), -3.1 for gestation length (GL), +2.8 and +1.7 for rib and rump fats and +8 for docility (DOC).
The heifer-suitable bull ranked in the top 6pc for rib fat, top 17pc for rump fat and top 16pc for BWT.
The James family rounded out their purchases with the second top-priced bull, Mason Valley 38 Special T34, bought for $11,000.
Sired by Baldridge 38 Special and out of Mason Valley Everate R61, the heifer-suitable bull had EBVs of +3.4 for BWT, +54, +95 and +126 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +6.9 for EMA, +68 for CWT, +2.6 for IMF, +103 for MCW, -3.8 for GL, +0.1 and -1.2 for rib and rump fats and +17 for DOC.
Buyers Trent and Cam James said their family had been buying from the stud every two years, for 10 years.
"On these two bulls, we were selecting on low birthweight, easy calving and good growth, as well as good length and conformation," Trent said.
"Structure and temperament are a big thing for us, selection wise."
The bulls will go over 50 Shorthorn, Shorthorn-Angus heifers.
"They are fleshy, soft skinned bulls that will go over our heifers," Trent said.
"We have a small feedlot which we induct calves into at 10 to 11-months-old on a grain ration, before turning them off to Woolworths.
"We aim to produce a 300kg dressed animal, or something to suit Woolworths 240kg to 310kg dressed weight bracket."
Ripmax Investments, Ravensthorpe, with the assistance of Nutrien Livestock Great Southern manager Bob Pumphrey, purchased the largest volume of three bulls that averaged $7167, which included the third top price bull for $9500.
The pen six gem, Mason Valley Tulsa T11, is a son of Black Market Beast Mode Q087 and out of Mason Valley Everate Silk K33, and had EBVs of +1.1 for BWT, +51, +85 and +106 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +3.1 for EMA, +65 for CWT, +0.7 for IMF, +92 for MCW, -3.0 for GL, -0.8 and -0.9 for rib and rump fats and +22 for DOC.
The heifer-suitable sire ranked in the top 6pc for BWT.
The account's other two purchases included, $7000 Mason Valley Beast Mode T70, and $5000 Mason Valley Beast Mode T82.
Returning buyers, the Nairn family, Albany, managed to secure two sires, to an average of $8000 and a high of $9000, for pen four beauty Mason Valley Stellar T15.
The Sitz Stellar 726D son - which is out of Mason Valley Novel M13 - had EBVs that ranked in the top 3pc for its -0.47 net feed intake (NFI-F), top 6pc for its -8.3 GL, top 7pc for its +1.5 retail beef yield (RBY), top 12pc for its +60 200-day weight, top 15pc for its +135 600-day weight and top 18pc for its +102 for 400-day weight.
PR & SM Marshall, Torbay, took home two bulls, averaging $7500, which reached a high of $8000 for Mason Valley Beast Mode T50.
Also purchasing teams of two bulls each were FG Smith, Cranbrook, paying a high of $7500 for Mason Valley Alternative T59, averaging $6750, and WF Bentink, Denmark, which averaged $6250 and reached a high of $7500 for Mason Valley Goalkeeper T64.
Mason Valley stud co-principal Narelle Burrow was pleased with the sale's result.
"It was a great turnout considering it was early on in the season and the way prices have been recently," Ms Burrow said.
"It was one of our best sales yet that we've had onfarm, which was pleasing to see and it was really well supported which we are very thankful for.
"Overall we are happy with the result and would like to thank everyone who supported us this year."
