*27 of 39 bulls sold to $12,500, av $6092
A SHIFT in direction from horned to polled Herefords has been affirmed, at long-term Western District stud Melville Park’s annual bull sale.
Shallum Holdings, Casterton, paid the top price of $12,500 for Lot 24, which was offered first.
Dale Sullivan said the bull, Melville Nyooma N493 (PP) would suit his farm’s late maturing production system.
“He is just a well-balanced animal, he has got a beautiful coat, beautiful nature and he will suit our plans,” Mr Sullivan said.
“He has good muscle fat and should fit into the system beautifully.”
Nyooma, an April 2017-drop bull is by Bowen Kyooma K27 (PP), out of Melville Corisande G378 (P).
He had a birth weight of 8.5 kilograms, 200-day growth of +50kg, a 400-day weight of +81kg and a 600-day weight of +127.
The bull had an eye muscle area of +6.1 square centimetres, a rib fat measurement of +0.8mm, rump fat of +1.0mm, and an intramuscular fat of +1.2mm.
“He was one of the few we had picked out – he was a good bull for money," Mr Sullivan said.
“He will probably go in June, in our run of heifers, and probably go with that age group, right through.”
Melville Park stud principal David Lyons said the demand for polled bulls confirmed the stud’s decision to scale back on horned animals.
“After today, we may have to go a little bit more polled," Mr Lyons said.
There was keen interest in the top-priced lot, which entered the sale ring first.
“We thought it would be better to clear the air and let everybody sort themselves out," he said.
Mr Lyons said Lot 2 went to a stud, Tee Jay Poll Herefords, which was the first time for many years.
Melville Nelson N450 (PP) sold for $7000.
Mr Lyons said the Sullivans were among several buyers who had been purchasing Melville Park bulls for several generations.
Landmark stud stock representative Andrew Sloan said most of the bulls went back into the south-west of Victoria and over the border into South Australia.
“It was his best sale, his best top price, his best average; it just goes to show, you don’t need many people, to make a good sale,” Mr Sloan said.
“The crowd wasn’t as big as other years, but they were all buyers.
"It was noticeable today they were after the polled bulls rather than horned.
"That's probably a lesson to take out – there seems to be a bit more demand for those polled bulls."
The sale was conducted by Landmark and Elders.
