Ardcairnie Angus bull sale peaks at $9500

The fixture marked the third annual bull sale for the Dewar family, Guilderton, at the Gingin Selling Complex since taking over the Ardcairnie stud's reins in 2021.

Unfortunately demand softened on the previous two sales, with forecast reduced cow matings among some of Ardcairnie's client base in the central and northern Midlands regions, pressured mainly by challenging seasonal conditions and a slowly recovering beef market.

Despite being hopeful but also realistic in the current environment, the Dewar family maintained strong numbers in the catalogue giving loyal and new buyers, coming from as far as Esperance and the lower Great Southern, a good selection of bulls to fill their requirements.

They were spoilt for choice with the consistent team of 49 rising two-year-old bulls representing a wide cross section of genetics from homebred sires to industry leading international and Australian genetics while adhering to the stud's policy of presenting bulls in working condition.

The Nutrien Livestock team sold 32 bulls at auction (65 per cent clearance) for an average of $5828.

The absent buying support took its toll on clearance and values compared to previous sales, particularly toward the backend of the catalogue when orders began filling.

Like all bull sales to date this season, it was back on last year's result where 50 of 56 bulls sold at auction for an average of $8280.

Negotiations on overlooked lots continued afterwards, with some further sales however beef producers looking for quality Angus bulls are encouraged to contact the Dewar family.

Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Tiny Holly kicked off proceedings and it wasn't long before values peaked with Ardcairnie T004 cataloged in lot six knocked down to long-time Ardcairnie supporters and consistent buyers at the top-end of the market Old Bambun Grazing, Gingin, for the sale's top price of $9500.

The 614kg late March 2022 born bull was AI bred by USA sire Sitz Stellar 726D and out of an Ardcairnie M214 daughter Ardcairnie Isden R180.

While not extreme for any traits, the stylish well-bred and grown bull displayed an even spread of figures for a breed average birthweight bull recording, above breed average weight intervals along with very good structural performance, top 6pc gestation length (GL), top 12pc retail beef yield (RBY) and top 30pc eye muscle area (EMA).

The Neville and McCallum families have been Ardcairnie stud supporters for more than two decades and continued to follow the stud from its previous owners the McGregor family at Kojonup to new owners the Dewar family at Guilderton.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Megan McCallum said Ardcairnie T004 was a good all round bull.

"It ticked most of the boxes for us with a good spread of genetics and figures and we like its sire having used it in our AI program previously," Ms McCallum said.

Old Bambun Grazing runs a 750 head Angus self-replacing breeding herd with its heifers fixed time AI mated to calve from early March. Calves are yard weaned in November where steer calves are marketed to local lotfeeders onfarm.

Later in the sale Old Bambun Grazing added a mid-May 2022 born Mordallup Kwoka P257 son to its sire battery, costing $5500.

The sale's $8500 second top price was recorded on two occasions.

First to bid was return buyer Steele Rudd, Rudd Family Trust, West Coorow, for Ardcairnie Transcend T025 in lot nine.

The nuggety early April 2022 born bull was AI bred by Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 and out of a Yon Full Force C398 daughter Ardcairnie Isden R48.

The high indexing bull was a strong heifer joining option ranking in the top 18pc for birthweight (BW), top 5pc calving ease direct (CE Dir) and top 32pc calving ease daughters (CE Dtrs), while also recording top 26pc milk, top 9pc EMA, top 18pc rib fat, top 19pc RBY, top 3pc net feed efficiency (NFI-F) with Angus Breeding indexes in the top 25pc and 31pc for $A and $A-L respectively.

The Rudd family has a self-replacing herd of 300 predominantly Angus breeders which calve in April following an eight and 10 week joining for cows and heifers respectively and in a normal year sale progeny are marketed through the Muchea Livestock Centre from November to January.

Mr Rudd said they had used Paratrooper sons with success previously.

"It ticked a lot of boxes but mainly selected him to breed replacement heifers to move forward with the genetics in our herd," Mr Rudd said.

Another return buyer Graham Walton, Walton Family Trust, Yanchep, waited until late in the catalogue before raising his sights on Ardcairnie T011 penned in lot 44 and bidding $8500 for its services.

The high-performance bull was another AI bred son of Sitz Stellar 726D, born early April 2022 to a Coonamble Kevin N444 daughter Ardcairnie Infanta R277.

It recorded an impressive array of Breedplan performance ranking in the top 6-8pc for all three weight intervals, top 11pc mature cow weight (MCW), top 16pc carcase weight (CW), top 25pc EMA, positive fats, top 21pc NFI-F, top 2pc docility, top 23pc $A-L and top 37pc $A.

The Walton family currently runs 360 Angus breeders, down from 420 head due to seasonal conditions, which calve in late April.

Calves are weaned in December and sold depending on markets, with the last of the sale calves gone by February/March through his Nutrien Livestock agent Greg Neaves.

Mr Walton said his new bull was a very good bloodline and provided an outcross for his mature cows.

He was also impressed with its 200, 400 and 600-day weights, rib and rump fats and eye muscle area.

The next highest price was paid from the outset with Rocky Gully graziers DM & JA Carpenter collecting the sale team leader Ardcairnie Technique T042 for $8000.

The 668kg mid-April born bull was by a Koojan Hills Kaiser N91 son Ardcairnie Reflextion R199 and out of a GAR Fail Safe daughter Ardcairnie Abbie R109.

The low birthweight bull's spread of performance figures suited the curve-bending title ranking in the top 11pc BW and top 3pc CE Dir with strong growth (top 20pc 400-DW and top 34pc 600-DW), top 26pc milk, top 10pc CW, top 8pc EMA, top 2pc RBY and top 29pc NFI-F with high indexes of $232 $A (top 12pc) and $411 (top 9pc).

A number of buyers took the opportunity to stock up on good commercial bulls at excellent value for money.

These included a Nutrien Livestock account from the west Esperance region which tallied a team of five bulls costing $5000 each.

Kyanaba Grazing, Dandaragan, finished the sale with a team of four bulls costing from $5000 to a $7000, the top price paid for a high indexing low birthweight son of Ardcairnie P87 (by VAR Foreman 3339).

The mid-April 2022 born bull ranked in the breed's top 12pc for BW, top 10pc CE Dir, top 7pc days to calving, top 22pc EMA, top 15pc RBY, top 13pc $A and top 19pc $A-L.

Kyanaba Grazing runs 400 Angus breeders and 100 replacement heifers which calve from the end of April and is overseen by long-time livestock manager Doug Wasley.

Mr Wasley and Kyanaba Grazing livestock agent Brad Keevers, Nutrien Livestock, said traditionally 300kg plus sale calves were sold direct off-farm to local lotfeeders and Eastern States' markets in recent years while a portion of the heifer draft is marketed as breeding stock with some of last year's crop part of a Chinese breeder heifer order.

Mt Gerizim, Dandaragan, finished the sale with a team of four bulls costing from $5000 to a $6500 top price for a high indexing late May 2022 born son of Coonamble Kevin N444 and a Baldridge Bronc daughter.

It recorded extremely strong structure figures (top 3-7pc) while ranking in the top 4-9pc across its weight intervals, top 4pc DTC, top 5pc CWT, top 4-6pc fats, top 4pc docility, top 11pc $A and top 13pc $A-L.

Other multiple accounts included Cullalla Feedlot and International Livestock Exports, Gingin, and Coonabidgee Grazing, Gingin, collecting three bulls each while De Beer Livestock, Guilderton and Leno Vigolo, Nutrien Livestock, Midlands/Wheatbelt, representing Hopeland Farm View, Hopeland, each sourced two bulls at the sale.

SALES SUMMARY