Weeran Angus, Byaduk, principals Alec and Jo Moore was pleased repeat buyers helped to drive up the top and average prices at the eight annual spring bull sale today.
Of the 49 two-year-old bulls offered, 45 sold at auction for a 92 per cent clearance rate and two sold directly after the sale. The bulls sold to $8000 and averaged $4700.
Marie Sheedy and son Ken Shone of Nudgee Angus, North Cundare near Colac, secured the top-price bull, Weeran Holt. Sired by Lawson Nadal – a trait leader for 200, 400 and 600-day growth and eye muscle area (EMA) – Weeran Holt has estimated breeding values (EBVs) of EMA +7.2 square centimetres, which is in the top 10pc of the breed for the trait, and a retail beef yield of +1.3pc. His EBVs for 200, 400 and 600-day growth were +49kg, +79kg and +105kg respectively.
Mrs Sheedy picked the 774 kilogram bull, which had a 41cm scrotal measurement and an EMA scan of 77sqcm for its confirmation and pedigree. She and Ken have been buying Weeran Angus bulls for four years, and also bought Weeran Haze for $5000. The Te Mania Africa son has EBVs of birth weight of only +3.1kg, milk +27kg (within the top 1pc for milk production in the breed) and scrotal size of +2.9cm (within the breed’s top 5pc).
Another repeat buyer who purchased multiple bulls at the sale was Gippsgraze, Inverloch. Manager Paul O’Sullivan bought four bulls, including the first to go under auctioneer Brian Leslie’s hammer, Weeran Harvey that went for $5500. The Ardrossan Equator son has 200, 400 and 600-day growth EBVs of +47kg, +82kg and +111kg, EMA of +8.6sqcm and a retail beef yield of +2.1pc.
He also bought Weeran Halcyon (a TC Franklin son with EBVs of birth weight +3.3kg, milk +18kg) for $5500, as well as Weeran Haulage (another Ardrossan Equator son) for $4000 and Weeran Hurricane for $3000.
Jigsaw Farms, Hamilton, bought five bulls to $5500, av $4700. Most of the buyers were from Victoria, but some travelled to the property Weerangourt from interstate, including from southern NSW and Mt Gambier, South Australia.
Vendor Mr Moore said the sale went “extremely well”.
“We were very pleased by people’s feedback on what they saw.
“Our spring sale hasn’t normally drawn a large crowd but today it did and they knew what they wanted and bidded accordingly.”
He said the clearance rate and top and average prices were up on this year’s autumn sale and last year’s spring sale.
“I think people are realising that if the seasons align and are good in the south and north, processors will have the capacity to pay us more because the export market is good and there will be herd rebuilding,” Mr Moore said.
