Blackrock Angus sale tops $20,000

(under the hammer results)

Blackrock Angus supporters demonstrated an air of confidence in the WA beef industry to deliver strong results at the stud's annual bull sale at Boyanup last week.

This reciprocated the conviction shown by the MacLeay family and the Blackrock team when they offered their largest ever sale team of bulls this year.

The extensive list of registered buyers from throughout the State, from Geraldton to the north and Esperance to the south, lauded the outstanding presentation of 72 rising two-year-old Angus bulls representing leading international and Australian genetics and a number of high performing Blackrock-bred sires.

Despite the well-documented seasonal and market challenges facing WA beef producers during the past 12 months, buyers were keen to continue investing in the future of their breeding herds and bid with confidence to secure genetics of choice.

The sale was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus, with the online platform active throughout the sale.

The sale catalogue received 1703 views online, yielding 47 registered buyers and 53 viewers logged into the sale, with 77 online bids across 26 lots seeing 10 bulls sell to six different online buyers, contributing more than $100,000 to the sale at a healthy $10,550 average.

The widespread support at the sale and online resulted in the Elders South West livestock selling team, led by stud stock auctioneer Nathan King, selling 64 bulls (89 per cent) at auction for an average of $9320.

A number of the overlooked bulls were snapped up soon after the conclusion of the sale, further improving the clearance of bulls.

The stud sold one more bull at auction compared to last year's sale.

But, like all bull sales so far this selling season, values were back - reflecting the current climate.

Last year, 63 of 69 Angus bulls (91pc) sold under the hammer for an average price of $11,159.

Blackrock stud principal Ken MacLeay said they were very pleased with the buyer support at the sale.

"We take it to be an endorsement of our breeding goals and also a high level of satisfaction of the bulls that were offered," Mr MacLeay said.

"We remain committed to long term outcomes and are delighted to supply genetics to so many like minded farmers."

The influence of leading Australian sire Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 in herds throughout the country can't be understated and its sons again proved a popular choice among buyers and featured among the sale's top-priced bulls.

This included the $20,000 sale topper Blackrock T132 in lot seven, with the impressive bull knocked down to the winning bid of Peter Cowcher, Willandra Simmental, Red Angus and Angus studs, Williams.

The mid-March, 2022-born Paratrooper son was out of a Landfall Keystone K132 daughter Blackrock Q70 and supported its eye-catching physique with a strong spread of EBV performance.

This included ranking in the breed's top 6pc for gestation length (GL), top 5pc carcase weight (CW), top 17pc 200-day weight (DW), top 7pc 400-DW, top 9pc 600-DW, top 11pc mature cow weight (MCW), top 25pc intramuscular fat (IMF), top 2-17pc leg and feet structure traits, positive fats and top 15pc and 25pc for $A-L and $A Angus Breeding Indexes respectively.

Mr Cowcher said they selected the bull from its video on AuctionsPlus prior to the sale and seeing the bull in the flesh confirmed their choice.

"In terms of phenotype, he looked right, was a good weight for age, very neat and well balanced, great feet and legs and very good figures," Mr Cowcher said.

"We are in the early days of our Angus stud and thought a sire like this would make a good foundation for us.

"He is an outcross for our black registered cows to breed some good Angus females and build from there.

"We have used Paratrooper over some Red Angus females and have red factor Paratrooper sons that have performed very well and I think T132 is a step up again."

The Blackrock stud thought equally as much of the bull, having used its services in a recent joining and retaining some semen for in-herd use only.

Highlighting the quality depth through the large catalogue of bulls was the sale's $19,000 second top price being paid for lot 40 containing Blackrock T157.

The March 17 2022 bull was another AI-bred Paratrooper son and out of a EF Complement 8088 daughter Blackrock Q157 and was knocked down to a Muchea buyer operating on AuctionsPlus.

The classy index leading bull's EBVs were awesome with the average birthweight bull boasting trait leading top 1pc ranking for both Angus Breeding indexes, top 2-5pc for all weight intervals, top 10pc MCW, top 3pc CW, positive fats (top 7pc rib, top 4pc rump), top 13pc days to calving (DTC), top 19-24pc calving ease (CE) and top 26pc eye muscle area (EMA).

This same buyer also purchased an early March 2022 born AI-bred son of Rennylea L519 for $9000.

The $18,000 third top-priced bull Blackrock T137 followed the sale top topping bull into the sale ring in lot eight and the quality Paratrooper son was knocked down to Jacques Martinson, Elders, Busselton, on behalf of a local Busselton client.

The AI-bred mid-March 2022 born bull was out of a high performing cow Blackrock M174 (by GAR Prophet) and like its other high priced half brothers, recorded a strong spread of growth and carcase figures, including top 2pc for 200 and 400-DW, top 4pc 600-DW, top 11pc MCW, top 5pc CW along with top 5-17pc feet and leg structure, top 20pc CE Dtrs, top 19pc docility and top 16pc and 27pc for $A-L and $A indexes respectively.

Mr Martinson also collected two bulls for another local Busselton account, paying to $12,500 for a quiet (top 6pc docility) Rennylea L519 son.

The Esperance region again represented a strong contingent of buying support to the sale, combining for a total of 16 bulls heading south east to new homes.

Epasco Farms manager Nicholas Ruddenkleu, Esperance, paid the sale's next highest price of $15,000, also deep into the sale catalogue, in lot 44 for Blackrock T177.

The moderate birthweight mid-March 2022 born bull was AI-bred by Rennylea L519 and out of a Booroomooka Genius G120 daughter, Blackrock P118, and recorded well above average weight figures, top 8pc docility, positive fats (top 4-6pc), top 8pc IMF and top 10pc leg and feet structure.

Epasco Farms will calve down 1200 Angus breeders this year, with heifers calving now and the cows from the beginning of March.

Calves are weaned in November and backgrounded until February and previously sold to a local lotfeeder from 300-350kg.

Mr Ruddenkleu said Blackrock progeny feed well and are well-respected by lotfeeders.

He said T177 would be used in the enterprise's nucleus herd of 100 breeders to produce herd bulls to cover their significant bull requirements and was looking for good bloodlines with positive fats with a focus on breeding bulls.

Mr Ruddenkleu also purchased a travelling companion for his new nucleus sire for $5000 which will go into herd duties.

After attending his first Blackrock sale last year, Riley Curnow, Kainton Farms, Scaddan, returned and finished with four bulls which included one of the overlooked bulls following the sale.

He paid from $5000 to $11,000 for his team of bulls with his top price outlaid for an early March 2022 born AI-bred bull by Chiltern Park Moe M6 and a Millah Murrah Loch Up L133 daughter.

The low birthweight (top 6pc) and calving ease bull (top 2pc CE Dir) still recorded above average weight intervals, top 7pc CW, positive fats, top 7pc milk and top 15pc net feed efficiency (NFI-F).

Kainton Farms runs 350 Angus and Red Angus breeders and Mr Curnow said he was really happy with the Blackrock bulls and was looking forward to seeing their first crop of progeny hitting the ground soon.

Nutrien Livestock, Esperance agent Darren Chatley was busy representing multiple client orders including the sale's volume account which totalled six bulls on behalf of long-time Blackrock buyer the Fowler family, Chilwell, Condingup.

He paid from $5000 to $9500 for Chilwell's team of bulls which will join the large sire battery to cover the enterprise's 2500 Angus breeders which calve from March onwards.

Mr Chatley said the calves were yard weaned, finished on grass and marketed to Woolworths from the end of August to early October as grass-finished yearlings weighing 280-285kg dressed weight and he selects bulls accordingly.

He said he looks for moderate framed easy care cattle with good growth and fat cover for Chilwell's requirements.

Mr Chatley also assisted brothers and fellow long-time Condingup buyers Mark Darlow, Forward Plains and Graham Darlow, Darlow Ag Company, with their purchases.

Forward Plains finished the sale with four bulls where it paid from $8000 to a $10,500 top price twice for AI-bred sons of USA sire Baldridge Beast Mode B074 and Rennylea L519.

Forward Plains will calve down 450 breeders from early March which are weaned in early December.

For the past seven to eight years, almost all sale calves are sold direct to a Karlgarin feedlot in mid-January.

Mark Darlow said they have a great relationship with their buyer which makes for simple and flexible marketing of their calves.

He said he selects strongly on feet and legs, fat cover, temperament and good calving ease.

Graham Darlow secured two bulls at the sale, first paying $11,500 for a AI-bred son of USA sire GDAR Regulator 364 and a Millah Murrah Loch Up L133 daughter in lot four with a strong spread of figures including top 14pc CE Dtrs, top 6-10pc weight intervals, top 7pc CW, top 13pc NFI-F and top 19pc $A-L index.

He followed up four lots later with a $10,500 successful bid on another GDAR Regulator 364 son with lower birthweight (top 34pc) and calving ease (top 5pc CE Dtrs) and extremely high indexing (top 3pc $A and top 5pc $A-L) with top 4pc DTC, positive fats and structure.

A Gingin producer operating on AuctionsPlus secured two new Blackrock bulls and paid to $14,500 for lot 12 containing a mid-March 2022 born AI-bred son of Rennylea L519 and Blackrock M137 (by GAR Prophet) which was the dam of the $26,000 top-priced bull at last year's sale.