*62 of 68 bulls sold to $12,000, av $5274
This year’s Witherswood Angus, Taminick, bull sale offered value for both the vendor and purchasers, according to stud principal John Woodruff.
A top price of $12,000 was paid for a son of Millah Murrah Kingdom K35, bought by a consortium of buyers, including Witherswood, for $150,000 in 2016.
“It was a value sale for Witherswood, because our bulls went locally,” Mr Woodruff said.
“It was value for the buyers, because they had a really good crack at buying competitively priced bulls.
“They will do a [good] job for them, because we are very, very comfortable with what went through the ring.”
Phil Callus, ‘Calview’, Laceby, bought the top priced bull, Witherswood Kingdom M0332, which weighed 764 kilograms.
The bull was out of Aberdeen Estate Wilcoola J8 (AI) (ET).
Kingdom’s eye muscle area (EMA) of +7.2 square centimetres was the highest raw scan of the entire drop.
Kingdom, a September 2016-drop bull, was one of the youngest animals on offer.
He had a scrotal circumference of 42 centimetres.
The bull recorded Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) of birthweight +7.4kg, +55kg at 200 days, +103 at 400 days, and +139kg at 600 days.
Other EBVs included -0.4 rib, +0.5 rump and an intramuscular fat (IMF) of +0.5 per cent.
Mr Woodruff said there wasn’t a great deal of initial interest in Kingdom, as he had a fairly high birthweight.
“Some people get concerned about birthweight,” Mr Woodruff said.
“But he is a beautiful bull, he is very well presented, looks good and will work very well.”
Mr Callus agreed with the assessment.
“He’s exactly what I am after,” Mr Callus said.
“He’s got the right shape and temperament and he will fit in our herd, to breed calves exactly how we breed them.”
The bull would be used in weaner production for various markets.
“We have topped the weaner sales at Wangaratta three years in a row, and that’s by using good bulls,” he said.
“He’s going to put thickness into the herd, and that’s what we want.
“We want our steers to go into feedlots, or straight to the abattoirs.
“We also export to China and Japan, when they are buying.”
He said ‘Calview’ would also use Kingdom to breed bulls for its own herd.
Bulls mainly went to local producers, with Carrington Property Company, Euroa, picking up nine.
Hopkins River Pastoral, Dunkeld, was the next highest volume buyer, taking home four bulls.
All bulls sold for $4000 or more, with one, Witherswood Bos M0019 (AI) (ET) selling to G&R Maher, Stratford, for $10,000.
Auctioneer Michael Glasser, Glasser Total Sales Management (GTSM), said it was among the largest lines of bulls Witherswood had put up.
He said the draft included 12 sons of Kingdom K35, and 14 from Klooney K42.
“There is plenty of power and punch, in those guys, and their sons sold accordingly,” Mr Glasser said.
He said dry conditions in the north-east meant commercial sales had “come off the boil”.
“It’s just not as rosy as it was, but it will eventually rain, and things will kick on,” he said.