TE MANIA ANGUS
Total clearance of 156 bulls, sold to $30,000, av $9282
Last Wednesday, Te Mania Angus sold a record 156 bulls in a full clearance, and also set a record average for the stud at $9282.
Jodie and Shane Foster, Boonaroo Angus, Casterton, bought the top-priced bull again, after having bought the equal top-priced bull last year. They secured lot 8, Te Mania Lackey L27 (AI) for $30,000, which was $7000 more than they paid last year.
Lackey L27 weighed 788 kilograms at 19 months. He is in the top one per cent of the Angus breed for all four profitability indexes – with an Angus Breeding Index of $153, Domestic Index of $133, Heavy Grain Index of $176 and Heavy Grass Index of $140. His estimated breeding values (EBVs) for fertility, IMF and docility were in the top five per cent for 2015-drop Angus cattle, as well as growth figures all in the top 5pc including of +52kg for 200-day weight, +99kg for 400-day weight and +127kg for 600-day weight.
Mrs Foster said they picked this bull – their sole purchase of the day – as it would continue the calving ease of their herd, while having the growth, structure and perfect temperament to complement it.
She said they continued to use Te Mania genetics for their predictability and great industry bench-marking through Team Te Mania.
She said they also had a lot of faith in the bull’s pedigree – it was by Te Mania Garth G67 (AI) and was the first calf out of a Te Mania Japara heifer.
The Fosters will join about 400 cows this year and plan to collect from Lackey before joining him to heifers for a spring calving.
Another Garth son, lot 18, Te Mania Lakewood L119 (AI), sold to Curracabark and Pathfinder Angus studs for the second-highest price of $28,000.
Long-time Te Mania supporter Dennis Power, Minnamurra Pastoral Company, Coolah, NSW, bought seven bulls, including two at $26,000 and for an overall average of $17,400.
Lot 3, Te Mania Lambrusco L155 (A) was the first bull he purchased for $26,000. The Te Mania Jerome J131 (AI) son was out of a Te Mania Mittagong heifer, and had an impressive, balanced set of EBVs including those in the top one per cent for intramuscular fat (at +3.8pc), carcase weight (at +81kg) and fertility indicators (scrotal size +3.6cm and days to calving -9.9 days). Its EBVs were in the top 5pc for eye muscle area (at +8.8sqcm) and 200-day growth (+52kg). It was in the top 1pc for the four profitability indexes.
Mr Power also secured a son of Te Mania Gaskin G555 (AI) at Lot 79 for $26,000. At 18 months, Te Mania Legwork L697 (AI) weighed 792kg, making it one of the heaviest bulls in the draft.
He said they started using Te Mania genetics nearly 20 years ago and continued to do so for the “quality of the cattle”. A great demonstration of how well the Te Mania genetics work for the operation is Minnamurra had three teams of steers in the top 10 of the Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial (reserve champion, fifth and eighth) and had champion Teys Premium Quality Carcase.
The new Te Mania bulls will go to their property Cortina, Mudgee, NSW, where they join about 2500 Te Mania blood females for a spring calving. Mr Power said he’d likely buy a “handful” of bulls at Te Mania’s Walgett NSW sale too.
But the buying account to book the most bulls was a client of Brodie Agencies, Winton, Queensland, who secured 15 bulls through AuctionsPlus.
This represented half of the 30 bulls sold through AuctionsPlus, and its market operations staffer Anna Adams said there were a total of eight successful bidders who secured the 30 bulls that came from five states – Victoria, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.
There were another 46 registered bidders on the online service and another 112 people that watched the sale. Ms Adams said AuctionsPlus bidders were active on all bulls bar four lots.
She said this was a higher than average participating on a beef cattle sale for the platform, and she said it could reflect the bulls being well presented at the Stock & Land Beef Week field day a month ago; Te Mania’s strong reputation and established bloodlines in the industry;and “outstanding” pre-sale marketing that included videos of each bulls.
Other volume buyers included an SA commercial producer who bought nine bulls, av $5889; and Mark Johns, who runs cattle in western Victoria and Gippsland and bought eight bulls av $7000.
Mr McFarlane said the average sale draft weight was 720kg, which was some 40kg heavier than last year, and was evident throughout the offering. He said as well as the bulls presenting very well this year and improved commercial cattle prices had boosted buyers’ confidence in the industry.
He said it was “very satisfying” that sons of home-bred sired were well sought after; including Te Mania Garth sons that sold very well. Garth – by Te Mania Africa – had the most sons in the sale at 38, and as well as the first and second highest priced lots, the sons averaged $11,105.
Also of note were Te Mania Jerome’s (by Te Mania Berkley) 10 sons averaged $12,600; Te Mania Gaskin’s 14 sons averaged $11,286; Te Mania Jenkins J89 (AI)’s 15 sons averaged $10,067; and Te Mania Joe J963 (AI)’s six sons averaged $10,500.
