Merridale Angus
32 of 34 bulls to $14,000, av $7515
Total clearance of 12 females to $8000, av $4063
LAST week, the Collins family hosted its most successful bull sale at Merridale Angus, Tennyson. Peter Collins said they were “absolutely rapt” for their best ever sale, which reflected the “most consistent line-up (offered, with) more hindquarter and visibly more muscle”.
At auction 32 of 34 bulls sold to a top of $14,000 and an average of $7515. The draft’s consistency and buoyant beef cattle prices saw the average up $1124, and eight bulls sell for $10,000 or more.
Repeat buyer Buchan Station, in East Gippsland’s Buchan, bought Lot 17 Merridale Kookaburra K91 (AI) (ET) for the sale’s top price. Representative Sam Hayden said the family had chosen the September 2014-drop, 734-kilogram bull based on his well-balanced Breedplan estimated breeding values (EBVs), overall look and correct structure, with feet an important aspect because the farming operation has some limestone country.
Kookaburra K91 was by Booroomooka Inspired E124 (AI), himself an Ardrossan Equator A241 son, and was out of a Merridale Ester cow – a line of good, thick, easy-doing, correct, fertile and good-growth cows. The strong, square sire’s EBVs included gestation length -6.1 days (top 10 per cent), birthweight +4.8kg, 200-day weight +42kg, 400-day +78kg, 600-day +104kg, milk +21kg (top 5pc), carcase weight +63kg (top 25pc) and positive intramuscular fat. Mr Hayden said Buchan Station would likely have some semen collected from him when Merridale did, and then use him for a spring joining. Buchan Station runs 500 cows and targets weaner production, with its 400-head draft to be offered at Bairnsdale’s feature sale next week. Buchan Station got a second bull, a Rennylea H106 son, for $6000.
Buying the largest number of bulls was a new Merridale client from Ingham, Queensland. Echuca agent Kyle Landy was acting for the account and said the four bulls (secured for a $5000 each) were chosen on their muscle pattern because the clients want to add more shape in a cross-breeding program.
Vendor Mr Collins said it was terrific to have a buying gallery of mostly return clients, with bulls being sent to north-east and central Victoria, East Gippsland, as well as interstate including to southern NSW, south-east South Australia and Qld.
All 12 females lots sold to a top of $8000, for joined heifer Merridae Nanny K104 (AI) (ET) secured by Bruce Graeme, Cootamundra, NSW. It was one of four full sisters by US sire S A V Harvestor 0338 and out of Merridale Nanny G33 (AI) (ET).
Winetta Free and Carey Walters, Buchan South, purchased the top-priced cow Merridale Ester D6 (AI) (Tw). Mr Collins described the 2008-drop cow as an elite donor that hadn’t missed a beat. She was the dam to many high-priced bulls at Merridale sales. Ms Free and Mr Walters plan to flush her and hope she’ll be a starting block of their breeding program. The Bewley family, Bewmont Stud, Boorowa, NSW, are also hopeful the four females and one bull they purchased will boost their Angus breeding program. The two cows they bought had Merrigrange bloodlines which Anna Bewley said appealed because cows already in the stud had bloodlines tracing back to Merrigrange, and they had proven to be the type and proven industry performers they wanted. They also purchased two heifers, including a Harvestor and Nanny heifer.
