Kilburnie Angus
*70 of 73 bulls sold to $16,000, av $6829
BULLS reached a high of $16,000 and averaged $6829 at the annual Kilburnie Angus bull sale at Straban, Walcha, NSW, last Friday.
Seventy of the 73 bulls offered by stud principal David Murray sold in the helmsman system. Bulls were knocked down to commercial and stud clients in the New England and Hunter Valley.
Of the yearlings, 42 of 44 bulls sold for an av $6761, and 28 of 29 two-year-old bulls sold and av $6928.
David Ross, Daisy Hill, Wollomombi, NSW, bought the top-priced bull, Murray M Grando J136 M268, a 12-month-old son of Murray Grando J136.
The 582-kilogram bull was in the top one per cent for all indices and had estimated breeding values (EBVs) of +3.9 for birthweight and +53, +97 and +129 for 200-, 400- and 600-weight respectively.
Murray Bartel M206, by Ayrvale Bartel E7, sold through AuctionsPlus, going to David Benson, Top Waterloo, Walcha.
The 13-month-old weighed 562kg was also in the top 1pc for all indices with EBVs of +1.8 for birthweight and +57, +101 and +128 for 200-, 400- and 600-day weight.
Murray Bartel M38, another 13-month son of Ayrvale Bartel E7, also made $15,500. It sold to John Sylvester, Sylvester Cattle Company, Nundle NSW.
M38 weighed 548kg and had EBVs of +3.5 for birthweight, +60, +101 and +132 for 200-, 400- and 600-day weight, and +109 for mature cow weight.
Repeat Kilburnie clients, John and Sandra Zorgdrager, Somerset, Walcha, bought Murray Federal M252 for $13,000. He was a 13-month-old son of Waitara Pio Federal F73 that weighed 614kg. The bull had EBVs of +2.9 for birthweight and +52, +98 and +119 for 200-, 400- and 600-day weight.
Two bulls – Murray M Thunderbird M102 and Murray M Grando J136 M268 – sold for $12,000 to John Clark, Yahna Angus, Dundee, and Ian McDonald, Walcha, respectively.
Mark and Angie Berry, Emu Creek, Walcha, bought the most bulls, with their four bulls averaging $5750. The Ross family; the NSW Department of Primary Industries; Michael Campbell, Walcha; Hugh and Steph Cook, Walcha; Ross King, Walcha, and the Taylor family, Kentucky NSW, each purchased three bulls, for respective averages of $10,166; $8000; $7500; $7166; $6833 and $6833.
“Buyers were chasing bulls with low or reasonable birthweight, but with lots of growth,” manager, Andy Burwell, said.
The sale was settled by Landmark Walcha.