24 out of 34, sold to $6250, av $4108
CROSS border buyers were well represented at the first auction, conducted by Tallangatta Valley Black Simmental stud, BrewerBeef.
Sale topper BrewerBeef Lucky Man KO16, from SD Lucky Man F511, out of Sylvandale G559 was knocked down to Holbrook grazier, Veronica Yentsch, Yarrara, NSW for $6250. “We’ll use him for cross breeding, we wanted to get a good bull, because we run a commercial Angus herd,” Ms Yentsch said. “We are looking for hybrid vigour, more power and more meat.” Lucky Man had figures of a 98cm eye muscle area (EMA), P8 rump fat of four, rib fat of three, and intramuscular far (IMF) of 3.2per cent, scored through the Beef Class Structural Assessment System.Lot 28, BrewerBeef Bettis K017 achieved the second highest price, at $5750; all of the yearling bulls sold for more than $2000. BrewerBeef Bettis was sold to Stewart and Peter Macoun, Boongala, Peak Hill, NSW.
He recorded figures of 110cm EMA, P8 fat of four, rib fat of three and IMF of 3.9pc. Bettis was one of four bulls bought by the Macouns, one of several volume purchasers. Stewart Macoun said he sought out the Brewer bulls because of their quiet temperament and progeny.
“I knew what the genes and progeny were here, as soon as I got onto the place, I knew straight away,” Mr Macoun said.
“The progeny of the things is very strong, from two weeks on, they just grow – even in dry conditions.”
He said he had achieved excellent results at the Barnawartha sale yards, in October, as had stud principal David Brewer. At this year’s Blue Ribbon weaner sales at Wodonga, BrewerBeef averaged $1240 a head, for 50, nine month old steers, winning the Best Presented Pen award.
Mr Brewer said he was happy with the prices, as input costs were lower for the purely grass fed bulls. “We are trying to get the breed out, in this area, because there are not a lot of black Simmental bulls used, they are more popular in SA and northern NSW,” Mr Brewer said. “There are numerous benefits to the Simmental, we have a product that is so compatible with British breed cows, we are trying to put a little bit more meat and a bit of softness into them. The finishing ability, the easy calving, the easy handling, and having a black, polled animal, is just a big benefit. They haven’t been breaking down, so people are getting a lot longer out of these grass fed bulls.”
Auctioneer Michael Glasser, GTSM, said bulls sold into Coolac, the Upper Murray, Molesworth, Narrandera and Holbrook.