$7500 Ballawina Angus bull tops Mt Barker

A total of 27 bulls were offered, represented by five breeds from seven studs to suit all buyers' needs and breeding objectives.

New and returning buyers travelled far and wide to secure their catalogue favourites, as well as interest from prospective buyers via AuctionsPlus, which attracted 1852 catalogue views and 17 logins.

Of the 27 bulls offered, 17 sold under the hammer to an average of $5368 and a high of $7500.

Last year in the sale, 16 of 20 bulls offered were cleared to an average of $7563 and a high of $15,000.

While the sale average was back on last year's result, the studs each gave their clients a quality selection - with prices reflecting the current market and seasonal conditions the Western Australian beef industry is experiencing, not the quality of the bulls.

Elders auctioneer Nathan King said credit should be given to all the vendors who participated.

"Genetically they are doing some great things and investing into these cattle well and should be congratulated," Mr King said.

"There were certainly some great bulls bought here today, both genetically and physically.

"It is evident that the longer the season goes on, the harder things are getting.

"We would like to thank the vendors for having a crack at the selling, they aren't shying away from breeding bulls and they know that markets and seasons will get better, which hopefully means more demand in the future."

The Black Simmental bulls were the first to be offered, and the line-up was made up of six well-bred and presented bulls from the Hard family's Naracoopa stud, Denmark, and the Stoney family's Stirling End stud, Gnowellen.

Four of the six bulls managed to find new homes, which were all offered by the Stirling End stud, resulting in a 100 per cent clearance for the Stoney family, reaching a high of $6000 and a $5125 average.

Achieving the $6000 top price breed honours was an 860kg bull, Stirling End T011 which was snapped up by Elders, Albany agent Nigel Hawke, MJE Grazing, Albany.

T011 is sired by Stirling End Kruger Q005 and out of Stirling End Poppy.

It has Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) of +4.5 calving ease (CE), +4.0 birthweight (BWT), +81.6 weaning weight (WWT), +121.2 yearling weight (YWT), +24 for milk, +3.1 maternal calving ease (MCE), +64.8 mature weaning weight (MWWT), +16.5 stayability (STAY), +13.5 docility (DOC), +31.3 carcase weight (CWT), +1.06 rib eye area (REA), -0.094 fat, +0.05 marbling (MARB), -0.48 yield grade (YG), 119.19 for all-purpose index (API) and 75.49 for terminal index (TI).

With these figures it ranks in the top 25pc for STAY, and top 30pc for milk and MWWT.

Mr Hawke said he has been buying from the stud for the past four years.

"This bull has really good growth rates and is a really true to type Simmental," Mr Hawke said.

"Over the past four years I've bought terminal sires to go over Angus and Murray Grey cows.

"These bulls produce good soft calves with plenty of hybrid vigour and good growth rates."

The stud sold its second top-priced bull, Stirling End T018 to Ridley Plains, Esperance, for $5500.

The 790kg sire is a son of Stirling End Kruger Q005 and out of Stirling End Poppy N001 and it ranks in the top 10pc for milk and top 30pc for MWWT and STAY.

The Esperance account added another bull to its purchase list, paying $5000 for Stirling End T002.

The February 2022-drop bull is also a Stirling End Kruger Q005 son, which weighed 825kg and ranks in the top 25pc for milk and top 30pc for MWWT.

Local Mt Barker buyers, Hay River Estate snapped up the remaining 710kg Bonnydale Dividend R28 son, Stirling End T009 for $4000.

The Angus offering this year included 13 very well-bred Angus sires that were penned and presented exceptionally well and proved to be well-sought after.

The Ballawina Angus stud, Albany, took the reins with the Angus line-up this year, offering and selling its 10-head sale team to the sale's high of $7500 and a $5700 average.

Buyers missed what could have been a very good buying opportunity when the balance of bulls offered by the Zakanaka stud, Youngs Siding, unfortunately attracted no interest.

Achieving the sale's $7500 top price was a 790kg bull, Ballawina Paratrooper T59.

The February 2022-drop sire is a Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 son, out of Jutland Mafasie M41 and was snapped up by Luke Gatti, L & C Gatti, Redmond.

It has Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) of +2.9 calving ease direct (CED), +1.6 calving ease daughters (DTRS), -4.4 gestation length (GL), +4.6 birthweight (BWT), +51, +90 and +111 for 200, 400 and 600-day weight, +99 mature cow weight (MWT), +15 milk, +2.9 scrotal size (SS), +15 docility (DOC), +57 carcase weight (CWT), +6.3 eye muscle area (EMA), +0.0 and +1.9 for rib and rump fats, +0.1 retail beef yield (RBY) and +2.4 intramuscular fat (IMF).

It ranks in the top 17pc for rump fat and top 24 for SS.

Mr Gatti continued his buying streak, securing two more Ballawina bulls, a Black Onyx 5Q11 son, Ballawina Black Onyx T8 and a Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 son, Ballawina Paratrooper T48, both at $5000 each.

Mr Gatti said it was his first time buying from the stud.

"We are really big on structure, conformation and temperament and the structural soundness in those bulls was great," Mr Gatti said.

"It was a great opportunity to buy really good genetics at a reasonable price.

"We were also looking to support the stud.

"They have recently invested in some very good genetics and they are not holding back on embryo transplants either, which is great to see.

I really like the direction Ballawina is going in."

DT Barker, Denmark, paid the second top price of $7000 for lot 18, Ballawina Black Onyx T20.

The 980kg Black Onyx 5Q11 son is out of Ballawina Julitha M19 and has EBVs of -1.4 CED, +5.1 DTRS, -6.3 GL, +5.8 BWT, +68, +123 and +165 for 200, 400 and 600-day weight, +141 MWT, +23 milk, -0.9 SS, +47 DOC, +93 CWT, +9.0 EMA, -0.1 and -0.7 for rib and rump fats, +0.8 RBY and +2.3 IMF.

It ranks in the top 1pc for DOC and 600-day weight, top 2pc for 200 and 400-day weights, top 4pc for CWT, top 6pc MWT and top 13pc for milk.

Two bulls achieved $6000 in the offering, first paid by Merinvale Grazing, Redmond, for a Coonamble Q508 son, Ballawina Beast Mode, and secondly by Woodburn Grazing, Porongurup, for a Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 son, Ballawina Paratrooper T43.

Woodburn Grazing added another sire to its team, a Coonamble Q209 son, Ballawina Whitlock T55, at $5000.

Only two Murray Grey bulls were entered in this year's sale, which was made up by new sale vendors Barker High Murray Grey, Mt Barker.

Of the two impressive September 2022-drop bulls, one was successfully bid on at $5000 by Elders, Mt Barker agent Dean Wallinger on behalf of a local Mt Barker client.

The $5000 smooth-coated sired weighed 645kg and is a son of Barker High Rumble Fang and out of Barker High Harmony H27.

It has EBVs of +0.2 CED, 0.0 DTRS, -0.6 GL, +2.7 BWT, +23, +50 and +53 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +53 MWT, +1.0 for milk, +0.3 SS, +35 CWT, -0.3 and -0.4 for rib and rump fats, +1.4 RBY and -0.2 IMF.

With these figures it ranks in the top 25pc for DTRS and IMF, top 27pc for RBY, top 28pc for rib and rump fats and top 29pc for SS.

The Great Southern Hereford stud, Youngs Siding, offered the entirety of the Poll Hereford portion of the sale, presenting four well-bred, true to type Poll Hereford bulls to sale attendees.

Two of the four bulls managed to find new homes by the sale's completion, averaging $4375 and reaching a high of $4750.

AK & AJ Mead, Ravensthorpe, managed to secure the top price bull, Great Southern Trey at $4750.

The 765kg Great Southern R012 son is out of Terraneil Phyllis J37 and has EBVs of -6.6 CED, -4.2 DTRS, +1.2 GL, +9.4 BWT, +47, +64 and +91 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +80 MWT, +13 for milk, +1.8 SS, +49 CWT, +2.8 EMA, +0.1 and -0.3 for rib and rump fats, +0.9 RBY and -0.4 IMF.

The remaining bull in the offering, Great Southern Tatum, sold for $4000 to G & S Elphick, Torbay.

The well-rounded bull is also a son of Great Southern R012 and out of Terraneil Gemstone K40 with EBVs of +8.0 CED, +2.6 DTRS, -1.3 GL, +2.4 BWT, +27, +37 and +49 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +41 MWT, +14 for milk, +1.4 SS, +34 CWT, +2.6 EMA, +0.8 and +0.9 for rib and rump fats, +0.7 RBY and -0.3 IMF.