Limousin National Sale Wodonga 2017
7 of 11 senior bulls sold to $9000, av $6143
21 of 26 junior bulls sold to $28,000, av $8071
13 of 14 senior females sold to $16,000, av $7769
13 of 15 junior females sold to $16,000, av $6635
VENDORS were rewarded for top-end bulls, females and genetics at the Limousin National Sale at Wodonga on Friday.
Event chairman Glenn Trout, manager of Birubi Limousin and Lim-Flex Studs, Borambola via Wagga Wagga, NSW, said people reserved their bids for the top end lots but then many other high quality lots that did not sell in the ring were sold quickly back in the shed.
“The bull that got out to $28,000 was a far superior bull but maybe some guys were holding waiting for him to go through,” Mr Trout said.
“Certainly the clearance, after things settled down out the back here, is extremely good this year.”
Karen and Garry Hedger, Garren Park Genetics, Culcairn, NSW, fended off tough competition to secure Flemington Longyard L36 (PF) for the sale top-price of $28,000.
The apricot, homozygous polled bull, exhibited by Mount View Orchards Batlow, Adelong, NSW, was awarded grand champion bull the day before, and reserve intermediate champion at the feature Limousin Show at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
At almost 20 months of age, this junior champion bull weighed 840 kilograms and measured 40 centimetres scrotal circumference, 8 millimetres fat at the P8 rump site, 5mm fat at the rib and 129 square centimetres eye muscle area (EMA).
Stud co-manager Donna Robson said Longyard’s dam was one of the best donor cows they’d bred and its American sire, Wulfs Xtractor X233X had one of the best spread of data in the breed.
It was one of two bulls purchased by Garren Park Genetics; the other being black, homozygous polled bull Ruby Park Lieutenant for $25,000. This bull was awarded reserive junior champion bull behind the grand champion bull the day before.
Co-principal Mr Hedger said both bulls had the power that he and Karen wanted.
“We’ve been looking for a couple of new sires for some time and these two bulls tick all the boxes that we’re after,” Mrs Hedger said.
“Both bulls are homozygous poll which is important to us.
“Both bulls have the softness as well as the thickness and depth of body we’re after. [They’ve got] magical figures and are structurally very smart bulls that will fit in with our breeding program.”
Mr Hedger said they’d collect from the bulls, as an insurance measure, and join them naturally.
“We start joining next month, so they’ll go to work pretty soon,” Mrs Hedger said.
While Garren Park has mostly apricot Limousins, Mrs Hedger said clients were asking for blacks so they were increasing their numbers of black Limousins.
“But the black bull [we bought today] is only single black, so he’ll throw apricot calves as well as black calves,” she said.
Two females reached $16,000 – the first being the two year-old, apricot, homozygous polled cow Birubi Lady Lavender L9 (PF) (AA) that had her first bull calf at-foot; the second being Summit Magic Prize L45 (PF). These females had won senior (and grand) champion and junior champion respectively the day before.
Dr John Sheehy, Limoges Limousins, Lake Bathurst, NSW, purchased Lady Lavender and said we was so well formed and the fact she’d got in-calf at such a young age indicated strong fertility. His confidence was boosted because she came from the Tynan family’s Birubi stud from which he’d used genetic material before.
Dr Sheedy also purchased senior bull Manoora Park Kent, junior bull Summit Anchor M11 and another cow Summit Meadowgrass K67.
He said he planned to do ET work with both cows and use the two bulls either in his 140-animal strong stud or commercial herd.
Red Oak and Unison Limousin studs purchased the $16,000 Summit Magic Prize L45 in partnership.
Simon Vogt, Red Oak stud, Kapunda, SA, said they were looking to add a couple of cow families to the herd and this heifer was of a strong cow family and had excellent phenotype, EBVs spread and docility.
Mr Trout said he was really happy to see the vendors get rewarded for their top end genetics and to see them getting traded between members.
He said it was truly a national sale with lots being purchased from Tasmania to Queensland.
He said overall, it was strong compared to previous years.
“We’re on a good run with the Limousin at the moment, we’re coming off the back of a big feature in Sydney and the genetics are out there and doing the job for the people in the beef industry,” Mr Trout said.
“And certainly being in the beef industry in Australia at the moment is exceptionally good.”