Koojan Hills Angus sire tops at $17,000

Despite the cattle market being well down on last year and extremely dry seasonal conditions across the South West corner of WA, buyers still showed they were prepared to invest in the best genetics possible to keep their cattle programs moving forward for when the market returns.

As a result, buyers from not only the local area but also from further afield including the West Coast, Gingin, Esperance and New South Wales, pushed prices to a high of $17,000 and cleared nearly all the bulls on offer.

With 71 registered buyers at the sale and another five active online bidders on AuctionsPlus from both WA and the Eastern States, the combined Elders and Nutrien Livestock selling team, led by Elders auctioneer Pearce Watling, had few issues selling bulls.

When they went up on the big screen, bids came continuously as buyers appreciated the quality of the offering and the breeding behind it.

By the time the final bull went off the big screen in the selling shed and on the screens of the online buyers, 98 of the 107 bulls offered had been cleared at a 92 per cent clearance rate, which was up 5pc on last year and an average of $7872, which down $2370.

In comparison, in last year's sale 95 bulls sold from 109 offered at an 87pc clearance rate and an average of $10,242.

Along with the solid bidding in the stands, the contribution of the AuctionsPlus platform also played a role in the final sale result.

The online catalogue received 1826 views and during the sale there were 43 online bids placed across 20 lots which resulted in 10 lots selling to four of the five active online bidders including the day's $17,000 top-priced bull.

Mr Watling said it was a good solid sale given market and seasonal conditions.

"The Metcalfes presented a good even draft of bulls across both breeds and like others sales this year buyers certainly got value for money," Mr Watling said.

"We saw good buying support right through the sale from return and new buyers located not only on the South Coast but also across on the West Coast and north of Perth plus New South Wales.

"Like all sales so far this year, buyers sifted through the catalogue and bulls with good phenotypes and figures were well sought after.

"It is a credit to the Metcalfe family to line-up more than 100 bulls and achieve more than a 90pc clearance given the current position of the cattle market and seasonal conditions, it shows they are breeding what their clients want."

Nutrien Livestock, Great Southern manager Bob Pumphrey said the bulls presented well and the sale was well supported by a long list of return buyers.

"Overall it was a good sale for the Metcalfe family, in particular the clearance was very pleasing considering market and seasonal conditions," Mr Pumphrey said.

"There were a few repeat buyers which took advantage of it being more of a buyers market and bought additional bulls to what they normally buy."

Once again it was the Koojan Hills Angus bulls which led the sale and they didn't disappoint, with the quality line-up receiving good buying support from across the country to see prices top at $17,000.

All up 90 Angus bulls went under the hammer and Mr Watling found new homes for 87 of them, as 48 different buyers purchased them at an average of $7983.

In comparison to last year the average was back $2554, however the stud sold an extra six bulls under the hammer.

In last year's fixture, the Metcalfe family offered 93 bulls and sold 81 to 42 different buyers at an average of $10,537.

With such an even line-up of sires on offer, picking a standout wasn't easy, but the bull which created the most interest among buyers in both the shed and online before being knocked down for the day's $17,000 top price was Koojan Hills Pacific T272 in lot 14.

Mr Watling took an opening bid of $7000 on the 910 kilogram, mid April 2022-drop bull and from there the price quickly rose as multiple bidders in the shed went against an online bidder.

Eventually it was Wes Graham, WJ & FJ Graham, Esperance, bidding through the AuctionsPlus platform, who prevailed as the winning bidder at $17,000 on the long, deep-bodied, well-balanced sire.

Mr Graham said he had been buying from Koojan Hills since the late 1980s and has always loved the type of cattle it has bred.

"I have bought a few bulls over the past couple of years from the stud, including two yearlings last year and I was targeting bulls today which had the same bloodlines as those yearlings as they are new bloodlines for our herd," Mr Graham said.

He said he picked out Pacific T272 for its overall package.

"He is a powerful bull with style and presence," Mr Graham said.

"He didn't tick all the boxes in terms of his numbers but he ticked enough to make me want him.

"I bought a Sterling Pacific last year and he has grown out well so I just wanted another one to add to the battery and this bull had what I wanted across the board."

Pacific T272 is a son of Sterling Pacific 904 and out of Koojan Hills N38, which is a Coonamble Elevator E11 daughter.

Along with showing immense power and style, the AI-bred bull had a very good set of Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) to match, which included -5.6 calving ease direct (CEDir), +1.0 gestation length (GL), +6.2 birthweight (BWT), +57, +119 and +156 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +132 mature cow weight (MCW), +19 milkm +1.3 scrotal size (SS), +0.1 days to calving (DTC), +91 carcase weight (CWT), +11.7 eye muscle area (EMA), -1.7 rib fat, -2.8 P8 fat, +1.3 retail beef yield (RBY), +0.8 IMF, -0.4 feed efficieny (NFI-F), +40 docility (Doc), +0.62 claw set (Claw), +0.76 foot angle and +0.84 leg angle.

With these figures Pacific T272 ranks in the top 3pc for 400 and 600-day weights and Doc, top 4pc for CWT and NFI-F, while it is in top 5-10pc for EMA, RBY, claw set, foot angle and leg angle.

Along with purchasing Pacific T272, Mr Graham also purchased another three bulls to finish with a team of four at an average of $12,375.Also in Mr Graham's team heading to Esperance were three AI-bred Myers Fair-N-Square M39 sons: Koojan Hills Fair-N-Square T92 (lot 36) at $11,500, Koojan Hills Fair-N-Square T154 (lot seven) at $11,000 and Koojan Hills Fair-N-Square T158 (lot five) at $10,000.

Fair-N-Square T92 is in the top 2pc for Doc, top 3pc for GL, top 4pc DTC and top 10pc for 200, 400 and 600-day weights and CWT, while Fair-N-Square T154 is in the top 1pc for 200, 400 and 600-day weights and top 2pc for MCW and NFI-I and Fair-N-Square T158 is in the top 5-10pc for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, Doc, GL, and CWT.

Mr Graham said he was also chasing the Myers-Fair-Square bulls after buying a yearling of the same breeding last year.

"Having seen the yearling grown, this bloodline has the style and type that appeals to me and I want to inject into our herd," Mr Graham said.

"The sire, Myers Fair-N-Square M39, appears to be a very balanced bull across all traits which is also something I like."

The Grahams will join 2500 Angus breeders this year including a small nucleus herd to breed bulls for their own use.

The second best price for the sale was $15,500 and it was achieved twice.

The first to pay the value were longtime clients Mark and Pamela Wood, MA & PK Wood, Green Range, when they secured Koojan Hills Nuttella T196 in lot 10.

The AI-bred, 874kg bull is a son of Banquet Nuttella N462 and out of a Quaker Hill Dead Center daughter, Koojan Hills N208.

The long, deep, powerful Nuttella T196 ranks in the top 1pc for NFI-I, top 3pc for Doc, top 9pc for claw set and top 20pc for 200 and 400-day weights and leg angle.

Ms Wood said Nuttella T196 was a well-balanced bull with good structure and good feet which they look for.

"He also has a good set of EBVs plus he is out of an older cow which is what we prefer as well," Ms Wood said.

"We were also chasing some new bloodlines so he ticked that box as well.

"At this stage we will use him over mature cows."

Along with securing Nuttella T196, the Woods also picked up another two bulls to finish with a team of three at an average of $9333.

The other bulls they purchased were a Koojan Hills Apache R62 son, Koojan Hills Timmy T456 at $7500 and a yearling bull Koojan Hills Resilient U27, by Sitz Resilient 10208.

The Woods are this year looking to join 500 Angus breeders for a March/April calving and they sell their weaners annually to a local grass feeder at 10 months old.

The second bull to hit the sale's $15,500 equal second top price was the AI-bred Koojan Hills Stellar T123 in lot 35 when it was knocked down to return buyers Roy and Jackie Reid, RJ & JD Reid, King River, who will join 350 Angus breeders for a mid-February calving this season.

Mr Reid said they picked Stellar T123 for its overall performance.

"He has a good set of figures across the board, is well-finished, has a good topline and is well developed," Mr Reid said.

The thick, solid Stellar T123 is by Sitz Stellar 726D and out of Koojan Hills R191, which is a daughter of Sitz Investment 660Z.

Stellar T123 ranks in the top 1pc for 400 and 600-day weights, top 3pc MCW, top 5pc foot angle, top 6pc CWT and top 9-10pc for 200-day weight, rib fat and P8 fat.

The third top price was $13,000 and it was the McGuire family, LR McGuire & Co, Manypeaks, which paid this value when securing Koojan Hills Accomplishment T504 in lot 72.

The ET-bred son of Sitz Accomplishment 720F and Baldridge Isabel F062 is in the top 2pc of for 200-day weight and EMA, top 3pc leg angle, top 4pc 400-day weight and foot angle, as well as top 5pc SS and top 9pc CWT.

Along with securing Accomplishment T504, the McGuires also purchased another three bulls to finish with a team of four at an average of $9500.

Also in the team at $10,000 was a Varilek Geddes 7068 son.

Jake McGuire said they had been buying Angus bulls from the Metcalfes since they purchased Koojan Hills and prior to that had purchased Murray Grey sires from them.

"We like their bulls because they are easy calving and have good growth," Mr McGuire said.

"Today we were chasing bulls with easy calving and good growth traits."We also wanted bulls that had a good all round set of EBVs and we were paying particular attention to growth, fats and EMA."

The McGuires will this year join 400 Angus and Murray Grey breeders to Angus bulls with two thirds set to calve from the beginning of March to mid-April and the remaining third will drop in July.

The next highest price for the Angus run was $12,000 and there were four bulls to hit this mark.

Going to the $12,000 mark first was a return NSW buyer operating on AuctionsPlus based at Grenfell.

They purchased an AI-bred Fair-N-Square M39 son, Koojan Hills Fair-N-Square T138, which ranks in the top 15pc for BWT and calving ease daughters.

However it wasn't their only purchase on the day, also securing two yearling bulls.

They paid $9500 for a Ellingson Three Rivers 8062 son (Koojan Hills Three Rivers U22) and $8000 for a Millah Murrah Rembrandt R84 son (Koojan Hills Rembrandt U44).

Next to hit the $12,000 price tag was James Gorman and his cattle manager Tim Fenwick, Gorman Pastoral, Wellstead, who have been buying from Koojan Hills since the Metcalfes purchased the stud.

At $12,000 the pair purchased a stylish ET-bred son of Sterling Pacific 904 and Koojan Hills Ada P71 - Koojan Hills Pacific T38.

Pacific T38 ranks in the top 5pc for claw set, top 8pc for Doc and top 13pc for EMA and foot angle.

Along with purchasing Pacific T38 the pair also secured three other bulls to finish with a team of four at an average of $9250.

Also in the team at $10,500 was a Sitz Stellar 726D son that is in the top 5pc for rib and P8 fat.

Mr Fenwick said they attended the field day and picked a few bulls out - they were looking for bulls with good feet, good growth and were easy calving as they will be used over heifers and then follow the age group through.

This year the Gormans will join 640 Angus breeders with their heifers to calve in February/March and their cows in March/April.

Mr Gorman said they liked purchasing from Koojan Hills because there was a good catalogue with plenty of depth in it to choose from.

"The bulls are also bred in our area which helps and they perform well for us," Mr Gorman said.

"We couldn't be happier with the bulls we got last year, their calves are dropping now and growing well."

Narrikup-based Mungrup Pty Ltd was the next to pay $12,000 when it picked up a Sitz Resilient 10208 son, Koojan Hills Resilient T268 which is in the top 2pc for GL, top 3pc DTC and MCW.

It also paid $8500 for a Ben Nevis Newsflash N239 son.Rounding out the quartet to pay $12,000 for a bull was the Blyth family, MJ Blyth & Co, Manypeaks, for Koojan Hills Accomplishment T482 which is an ET-bred son of Sitz Accomplishment 720F and Baldridge Isabel F062.

Accomplishment T482 ranks in the top 8pc for rib fat, top 9pc foot angle as well as top 14pc calving ease daugthers and P8 fat and top 15pc for EMA.

The top price for a yearling bull was $11,000 and it was bid by return buyer of 30 years the Roe family, Benalong Grazing, Gingin, at the sale to buy a couple of yearling bulls as they believe do better and adapt quicker in their environment.

They paid $11,000 for the well-balanced, 532kg Koojan Hills Rembrandt U25.The ET-bred bull is by Millah Murrah Rembrandt R48 and out of Coonamble G194.

It ranks in the top 8pc for Doc, top 19pc for SS and top 25-30pc for 200 and 600-day weights.

Also heading to the Roe's property, where they breed bulls for their own use, at $10,000 was a second yearling bull, Koojan Hills Three Rivers U36.

Three Rivers U36 is ET-bred by Ellingson Three Rivers 8062 and out of Koojan Hills H2.

It ranks in the top 20pc for calving ease daughters, 200, 400 and 600-day weights, CWT and NFI-F.

Fred Roe said both bulls would be new bloodlines for their herd and they would look to use them over second calvers.

"They are both sound young bulls, with good strong heads, good feet and both are thick behind," Mr Roe said.

Also paying five figures for a yearling bull was Bettini Beef, when it secured Koojan Hills Resilient U37, an ET-bred bull by Sitz Resilient 10208 and out of Koojan Hills Ada P71 at $10,000, to go with a two-year old bull purchased at $6000.

Along with the Gormans and the McGuires, there were another two buyers to secure teams of four bulls and they were Alcoa of Australia Limited, Waroona, which collected four to a top of $9000 and an average of $7125, while David C Wright, Denmark, averaged $6625 over a team of four that topped at $8000.

There were another three buyers to add competition to the sale purchasing three Angus sires and they were Millstream Pastoral, Manypeaks, which went to $10,000 and averaged $7833, while Roydon Nominees Pty Ltd, Denmark, averaged $7167 and topped at $10,500 and Yandilla Grazing Co, Manypeaks, averaged $6667 and went to $8500.

Following the offering of Koojan Hills Angus bulls, the Metcalfe family offered 17 Murray Grey sires from its Melaleuca stud and there was solid competition on them, ensuring the family achieved a good result given seasonal and market conditions.

By the end of the run, 11 of the 17 bulls had sold to 10 different buyers to a top of $14,500 and an average of $7000, which was back $1536 on last year.

Last year the Metcalfes offered 16 Melaleuca bulls and sold 14 under the hammer to a top of $14,500 and an average of $8536.

Leading the way in the Murray Grey offering and achieving the $14,500 top bid was Melaleuca Trident T60 in lot 102 when it was knocked down to Kurt Wise, Southend Murray Grey stud, Katanning.

Mr Wise said he became interested in purchasing Trident T60 after seeing his picture and video on AuctionsPlus.

"After I was impressed by what I saw of him online, I had an agent look over him for me and he told me I should come down to the sale as he was a top sire," Mr Wise said.

"We have bought previously from Melaleuca a longtime ago and their genetics worked well for us, so I am confident this bull will do the same as his sire is breeding very consistently.

"He is a real maternal type with a good skin, sound feet and good depth of body.

"He also moves very well and is well-balanced.

"He really is a purpose bull for what we are chasing in terms of continuing the softness through our herd.

"At this stage the plan would be to use him over some powerful Southend Narssist daughters."

The late March 2022-drop, 830kg, silver bull is by Melaleuca Phanton P110, which was the sire of last year's top-priced Melaleuca bull and out of Melaleuca Rosary K195, which is by Melaleuca Hurricane H19.

Along with showing plenty of class in the flesh, the deep, soft Trident also had a good set of balanced EBVs including -0.6 calving ease direct, -1.6 GL, +4.9 BWT, +31, +46 and +71 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +74 MCW, +6 milk, +1.3 SS, -3.7 DTC, +38 CWT, +1.1 EMA, +0.7 rib fat, +0.9 rump fat, -0.2 RBY and +0.8 IMF along with index values of +$104 for vealer, +$128, supermarket, +$161 EU heavy steer, +$143 northern terminal and +$114 breeder replacement.

With these figures Trident ranks in the top 5pc of the breed for 200, 400 and 600-day weights and top 15pc for milk, SS and EMA.

The next best price in the Murray Grey offering was $9000 and it was achieved when Nutrien Livestock, Williams agent Ben Kealy had the final bid on lot 112, Melaleuca Thunderstorm T23, on behalf of return buyer Salamar Pty Ltd, Boddington.

The 726kg, early maturing, silver Thunderstorm T23 is a son of Melaleuca Hakea and ranks in the top 5pc for EMA (+3.7), top 10pc for calving ease direct (+1.8) and GL (-2.1) and top 20pc for rib fat, rump fat and RBY.

Also heading to the Salamar's Boddington property was a second Melaleuca sire, Melaleuca Tyrant T28 at $5000.

Tyrant is by Phanton P110 and is in the top 10pc for IMF and top 15-20pc for rib and rump fat.

The third highest price for a Melaleuca sire was $8000 and it was bid by Lancelin Nominees, Albany, which had earlier secured two Koojan Hills Angus sires.

The Albany-based enterprise went to $8000 for a 760kg, silver Phanton P110 son, Melaleuca Tyrant T46 which is in the top 1pc for days to calving, top 5pc for rib and rump fat and top 20pc for 200 and 400-day weights.

Other buyers to buy at the top end of the Melaleuca offering were CD & KH Hine, Esperance, which purchased Melaleuca Talisman T43 (by Melaleuca Quicksilver Q113) that is in the top 1pc for RBY for $7000, while MJ & SG Liddiard, Napier and Relevant Investments, Manypeaks, both purchased a bull at $6500.

The Liddiards secured a Melaleuca Talisman T117 (by Quicksilver Q113) which is in the top 5pc for days to calving and RBY, while Relevant Investments purchased Melaleuca Turbo T2 (by Melaleuca Pegasus P8) which is in the top 20pc for IMF.