Buyers were treated to an early Easter gift at the second annual Bullock Hills Simmental bull and female sale at Boyanup last Wednesday.
A beef industry void of confidence, on the back of challenging seasonal conditions throughout the South West that's seen little to no respite as we head into April and a beef market in need of a positive kick along, saw buyers spoilt for choice as they selected from a quality catalogue of black and traditional Simmental genetics at excellent value for money.
The Patterson family played its part in presenting a top quality line-up of 31 mainly yearling and rising two-year-old black and traditional Simmental bulls and a selection of stud and commercial black Simmental females.
Unfortunately due to the seasonal and market factors out of the family's control, stud and commercial buying support weakened compared to previous years for the Woodanilling based stud.
New and return South West buyers made up the modest register at the sale which saw most clearance and value indicators down on last year's inaugural standalone sale.
The sale was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus and attracted interest from throughout the country with 1227 online catalogue views but buying activity from the eight registered online buyers was limited with two female lots selling to an interstate stud buyer.
At the conclusion of selling, the combined Nutrien Livestock and Elders co-ordinated sale saw 19 of the 31 black and traditional Simmental bulls (61 per cent) sell at auction for an overall average of $5737.
Two open Black Simmental cows with heifer calves at foot averaged $3100 a unit and six commercial black Simmental yearling heifers in two lines sold for $1150 each.
The sale breakdown saw 14 of 24 black Simmental bulls (58pc) sell under the hammer for an average of $6000, while in the line-up of traditional Simmentals, five of the seven bulls sold at auction at an average of $5000.
Last year in total 30 of 36 black and traditional Simmental bulls (83pc) sold at auction for an overall average of $7933 including 21 of 24 black Simmental bulls selling for an average of $8619 and nine of 12 traditional Simmental bulls finding new homes at a $6333 average.
Negotiations continued following the sale on the overlooked lots but as we approach the traditional joining season, beef producers needing a quality Simmental bull are encouraged to contact the Patterson family or their agent.
Sale team leader BHS Thunder T73 attracted strong wraps from pundits prior to the sale including from Murray and Jan Bennett, Jabenco Trust, Kronkup, who were prepared to pay the sale's $9000 top price for the black Simmental bull's services.
The early April 2022-born homozygous polled bull was ET-bred by WS Proclamation E202 and a Bonnydale Nukara daughter Bullock Hills English Mist Q7.
For a low birthweight bull (top 15pc), the powerful sire also impressed with its curve bending high indexing IGS EPD performance ranking in the 1-2pc for both API and TI $indexes, top 3pc milk, top 10pc calving ease maternal (CE-M), weaning (WWT) and yearling (YWT) weights and marbling, top 15pc calving ease direct (CE-Dir) and top 10pc stayability.
Its raw data saw the bull tip the scales at 954kg (March 18) and scan (January 8) 8mm P8 fat, 5mm rib fat, 126cm2 eye muscle area (EMA) and 4.6pc intramuscular fat (IMF).
While the Bennetts are no strangers to using traditional and black Simmental bulls in their baby beef breeding program, it was their first Bullock Hills bull purchase.
The couple run 80 first cross breeders sourced from Boyanup and Albany breeders sales which calve to Simmental bulls from late January to February.
Calves are targeted at the supermarket milk-fed trade around the 430kg weight with the first drafts turned off in November.
Mr Bennett said their supermarket outlet liked the European breed influence in the milk-fed cattle they buy and has seen them finish in the top 100 producers for MSA grading in 2020 and 2022.
He said he liked their new bull's depth, length and conformation.
The next rising two-year-old Black Simmental bull into the sale ring BHS Top Secret T119 was knocked down for the sale's $8000 second top price to BO Gardiner, Mumballup.
The mid-July 2022 born homozygous polled bull was sired by Woonallee Physio and out of a Bonnydale Lethal Weapon daughter Bullock Hills Rael L5.
It weighed 816kg and scanned 6mm P8 fat, 5mm rib fat, 129cm2 EMA and 4.9pc IMF with its EPDs ranking in the top 15pc for CE-M and top 30pc marbling.
The sale's volume buyer RH & JJ Manning, Busselton, assisted by Elders South West livestock manager Michael Carroll, finished the sale with three yearling black Simmental bulls.
The Mannings paid the next highest price of $7000 for a homozygous polled February 1, 2023 born ET-bred bull by KBHR High Road E283 and out of a LFE The Riddler 323B daughter Woonallee Dew It Right N337.
The low birthweight bull (top 4pc) recorded a strong spread of EPD performance with breed average weight intervals along with top 10pc CE-Dir and TI $index, top 15pc CE-M, marbling and API $index, top 25pc fat, top 30pc rib eye area (REA) and top 35pc carcase weight (CW).
The classy young bull weighed 680kg and scanned 5mm P8 fat, 4mm rib fat, 101cm2 EMA and 4.1pc IMF.
The Manning family has been long-time supporters of the Bullock Hills stud and Mr Carroll said they selected for structure, length, shape and temperament.
The Manning family run a self-replacing Angus cross breeding herd which calves from March to April.
Calves are carried through and finished as trade yearlings supplying the MSA grassfed supermarket trade in the spring.
Fellow Busselton grazier Ludlow Grazing Company secured a duo of rising two-year-old Black Simmental bulls and also paid to $7000 for its selections.
Its top purchase, BHS Thermostat T129, was another Woonallee Physio son born late July 2022 with raw data measurements of 5mm P8 fat, 4mm rib fat, 118cm2 EMA and 4.7pc IMF.
The 822kg breed average birthweight bull recorded an even spread of EPD performance with well above breed average weight intervals and TI $index, top 10pc CE-M, top 30pc CE-Dir and top 35pc REA.
Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs represented a few clients at the sale, first purchasing two impressive rising two-year-old traditional Simmental bulls by IR Imperial D948 at good value for money on behalf of RH Norman & Son, Busselton.
Mr Abbs then secured two Black Simmental yearling bulls for return buyer Paul Lee Steere, Wingalup Grazing Co, Boyup Brook, also at excellent value.
This account included the yearling sale team leader, a late January 2023 born stylish young sire which was another embryo bull by KBHR High Road and Woonallee Dew It Right.
The Lee Steere family runs a self-replacing 300-head Simmental-Angus cross breeding herd which calves from March and Mr Lee Steere said he was happy with the two bulls he purchased at value after paying the sale's $19,000 top price last year.
Normally the Lee Steeres wean their calves from December 1 and grow them out for the grassfed yearling supermarket trade, aiming for a 600kg liveweight animal however this year due to seasonal conditions, calves were weaned earlier in November and sold to lotfeeders.
"We only received 60pc of our annual average rainfall and with no bulk grass we had to sell the calves early to carry the cows through," Mr Lee Steere said.
"Water is becoming an issue and like everyone we are looking forward to rain to lift confidence in the market."
Other multiple bull accounts were Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper with two Black Simmental yearling bulls and Epiro Farms, Harvey, also with two yearling bulls including a black and a traditional bull.
The sale finished off with a selection of black Simmental females starting with two mature stud cows by Bonnydale Tanker L36 with heifer calves at foot which were snapped up again by return Bullock Hills stud supporter the Hopkins family, Wormbete stud, Illabo, New South Wales, operating on AuctionsPlus.
They paid $3000 and to a $3200 top price for a rising seven-year-old polled cow out of a ES Dakota NK68 daughter Bullock Hills Zinnia 12527 which recorded EPDs in the top 10pc for milk and REA, top 15pc stayability, top 30pc WWT, top 35pc CW and below breed average birthweight.
