The Kitchen family celebrated 30 years of breeding Angus bulls with success when its top-quality sires continued to impress buyers at its sixth annual on-property sale at Katanning last week.
An impressive line-up of 31 even and well-presented bulls were offered in the sale and it seems the stud's motto 'bred to perform' is what keeps clients returning.
It was a full house in terms of attendance, with both new and returning buyers taking advantage of the Helmsman-style sale's flexibility to secure their catalogue favourites and enjoy the friendly Kitchen family hospitality.
The sale also drew attention from prospective buyers through the AuctionsPlus online platform, with 952 catalogue views, 41 bidders logged in during the sale and 19 online bids placed - with three being successful.
Of the 31 well-tempered bulls on offer, 26 sold to an average price of $7000 and a high of $13,500.
In comparison to last year, 26 of the 27 bulls on offer sold to a $7692 average.
Elders stud stock representative Russell McKay said it was a good solid result considering the overall climate of the industry at the moment.
"There was excellent support once again at the top end from Bowie Beef and very good support from AuctionsPlus, which secured the second, third and fourth top price bulls at $12,500, $11,500 and $10,500," Mr McKay said.
"It was great to see new clients support the sale this year.
"Overall, it was a very solid and pleasing result in these current market conditions."
Mr McKay said, on behalf of Elders, a big thank you to Daniegh and Matt Kitchen for letting Elders conduct the sale.
"The Helmsman-style sale and AuctionsPlus works very well and congratulations to the family for its sixth on-property sale," he said.
"The stud is doing very well in its standalone sale so far and is a credit to the vendors."
Paying the $13,500 top price honours was yet again return buyer Mat Fairbrass, Bowie Beef, Bridgetown, for lot six bull Carenda Teletubbie T10.
The March 2022-drop sire has EBVs of -9.2 calving ease direct (CEDir), -1.8 gestation length (GL), +7.0 birthweight (BWT), +62, +102, +130 for 200, 400 and 600 day weights, +133 mature cow weight (MCW), +10 for milk, +2.6 scrotal size (SS), -4.4 days to calving (DTC), +77 carcase weight (CWT), +5.2 eye muscle area (EMA), -1.5 and -1.8 for rib and rump fats, +0.7 retail beef yield (RBY), +2.3 intramuscular fat (IMF), -0.06 net feed intake (NFI-F) and +34 for docility (DOC).
With these figures, it ranks in the top 9pc for 200-day weight and DOC and top 10pc for MCW.
Mr Fairbrass said the bull was a good moderate framed type bull, which he liked.
"His temperament is great too, and he has good growth as well," Mr Fairbrass said.
His plan is to add the new bull to the Bowie Beef sire battery to use over its 950-head herd of Angus breeders.
"We were running 1000 head but cut back due to the season," Mr Fairbrass said.
Bowie Beef rounded out its purchases with a $5000 Carenda Roper R51 son - Carenda Tank T81.
Wes Graham, WJ & FJ Graham, Esperance, took a particular liking to the lot three bull - Carenda Thor T39 - which he snapped up via the AuctionsPlus platform for $12,500.
Throughout the sale, he purchased three bulls at the top end to average $11,500.
Carenda Thor T39 is by S Powerpoint WS 5503 and out of Caenda Dream R12 and has EBVs of -4.2 CEDir, -5.0 GL, +5.7 BWT, +60, +107, +134 for 200, 400 and 600 day weights, +133 MCW, +11 for milk, +1.2 SS, -3.8 DTC, +77 CWT, +4.0 EMA, +1.2 and -0.6 for rib and rump fats, -0.2 RBY, +1.8 IMF, -0.05 NFI-F and +11 DOC.
With these figures, it ranks in the top 10pc for MCW, top 12pc for 400-day weight, top 13pc for 200-day weight and top 19pc for 600-day weight.
Next up in the buying queue for Mr Graham was an $11,500 March 2022-drop sire from pen two - Carenda Twister T31.
Twister T31 is also a son of S Powerpoint WS 5503, but out of Carenda Tupina R52, and boasted EBVs of +1.8 CEDir, -3.4 GL, +3.4 BWT, +55, +100, +121 for 200, 400 and 600 day weights, +108 MCW, +14 for milk, +1.1 SS, -3.5 DTC, +75 CWT, +5.9 EMA, +1.7 and +1.7 for rib and rump fats, -0.1 RBY, +1.6 IMF, +0.01 NFI-F and +12 DOC.
It ranks in the top 15pc for rib fat and top 18pc for rump fat.
The third member of the team heading to Esperance was a $10,500 Myers Fair-N-Square M39 son - Carenda Tate T8.
It has EBVs of +0.2 CEDir, -9.8 GL, +4.2 BWT, +61, +106, +139 for 200, 400 and 600 day weights, +111 MCW, +19 for milk, +1.9 SS, -5.3 DTC, +70 CWT, +4.5 EMA, -0.4 and -0.7 for rib and rump fats, -0.6 RBY, +3.1 IMF, -0.04 NFI-F and +19 DOC.
With these figures, it ranks in the top 2pc for GL, top 11pc for 200-day weight, top 13pc for 600-day weight and top 14pc for 400-day weight.
The volume buyer, who loaded up four bulls post-sale to average $5000 was Craig Moore, Hay River Grazing Co Pty Ltd, Mt Barker.
Mr Moore paid $5000 for each of the four bulls, Carenda Tornado T23, Carenda Thanos T26, Carenda Tsunami T90 and Carenda Terminator T61.
Tornado T23 is a Sterling Pacific 904 son, while Thanos T26 is a Myers Fair-N-Square son.
Tsunami T90 is sired by Carenda Roper R51 and Terminator T61 is sired by Carenda Recharge R37.
Mr Moore said it was his first time purchasing from the Carenda stud.
"I was after new genetics this year to put over my herd," Mr Moore said.
"The bulls I purchased today had really good feet, frame and conformation, which is important - as well as having good figures to back them up."
Mr Moore runs a 1200-head breeding herd of Angus-Hereford breeders and he plans to breed more of a straight bred Angus breeding program with his new purchases.
Bancell Falls, Pinjarra, also a fan of the Carenda genetics, secured three bulls that averaged $6000 and reached a $7000 high.
The account's top-priced bull was a son of Carenda Recharge R37 and out of Carenda Queenie N25 from the back end of the catalogue - Carenda Turbine T88 - which ranks in the top 6pc for BWT and RBY, top 10pc for EMA and CEDir, and top 19pc for NFI-F.
Johnson Bros, Albany, successfully bid on two bulls at $8500 and $7000 each.
Their $8500 sire, Carenda Recharge R37 son - Carenda Top Gun T86 - ranks in the top 11pc for BWT and top 15pc for CEDir, while its $7000 purchase, Heiken Broadview son - Carenda Tik Tok T5 - ranks in the top 9pc for RBY, top 10pc for SS, top 14pc for 200-day weight, top 15pc for 400-day weight and top 17pc for EMA.
Pardelup Prison Farm, Forest Hill, also secured two bulls to a $5750 average and a $6500 high.
Their $6500 bull, Carenda Tin Tin T20 is sired by Myers Fair-N-Square M39 and ranks in the top 12pc for 400-day weight, top 14pc for 200-day weight and top 16pc for GL.
