THE rise of the Speckle Park breed continued at the inaugural Shepparton Special Speckle Park Store Sale, where cows and calf units hit $4500 on Friday.
Mulcahy Nelson Livestock agents offered small lots across 47 pens, which grossed $560,665, and averaged $2674 a head.
"The unjoined heifers sold exceptionally well - above and beyond expectations - as well as the steer and cows and calf offering was also solid," Mulcahy Nelson Livestock agent Michael Mulcahy said.
"There were only two pens that sold under $2000, which were Holstein/Fresian-cross cattle and a pen of light 230-kilogram heifers."
The sale high was paid for six two-year-old cows, with calves at foot, averaging 545 kilograms, bred by vendor, Black Diamond Speckle Park, Macorna.
The stud also nabbed the sale's second-highest price of $4300, paid for another six, two-year-old cows, 504kg, with calves at foot.
The competitive cow and calf offering made from $3500-$4000, for cows above 400kg.
The heifer offering peaked at $2800, paid for seven heifers, 417kg, 17-18-months-old, also offered by Black Diamond Speckle Park.
Majority of the yearling heifers, from 320-420kg, sold from $2200-$2600, with the lightest heifers at 227kg receiving $1900.
In the steer run, an individual steer at 540kg hit the top price of $2300, while most pens fetched $1500-$2150, and averaged 340-460kg.
The online competition was strong from buyers in all three southern states, with a pen of P & J McIntosh's eight, four to five-year-old cows, 395kg, with calves at foot, fetching $3300, paid by a breeder from Mt Barker, SA.
Another SA-bound purchase went to Harrogate for 10 yearling heifers, 321kg, which sold to $2250.
Another single sale of one cow, Angus/Hereford-cross, 545kg, with calf at foot, sold to Berwick, at $3050.
"The demand for the breed is significant at the moment," Mr Mulcahy said.
"We had cattle go as far as Kempsey, NSW, to Mount Pleasant, SA.
"There was strong interest from outside our area.
"I think everyone is working out that the Speckle Park breed has a lot of attributes that are beneficial to the purchaser with their feed conversion and marbling superior to a lot of other cattle.
"The sale was so successful that we will make it an annual event."
Major vendor, Murray Black Diamond Speckle Park stud principal Murray Van der Drift began breeding Speckle Parks in 2014, chasing meat qualities aimed at winning carcase competitions.
The Van der Drifts run 150 purebred Speckle Parks within their 900-strong breeding herd and participated in the special store sale to attract more interest in the breed.
"There was great interest in the breed with a good crowd walking the alleys the entire sale, and quite a few bids online," he said.
There were 81 registered bidders on AuctionsPlus from NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, SA and across Victoria, with the catalogue recording nearly 5000 views.
Annabelle Cleeland
Annabelle Cleeland is a Stock & Land journalist. She has worked at Australian Community Media for more than a decade serving in a number of roles including editor, senior journalist and national sheep & wool writer. She runs a fine Merino wool property with her young family in North-East Victoria.
Annabelle Cleeland is a Stock & Land journalist. She has worked at Australian Community Media for more than a decade serving in a number of roles including editor, senior journalist and national sheep & wool writer. She runs a fine Merino wool property with her young family in North-East Victoria.
