* Total clearance of 39 bulls to $30,000, av $14,820
* Total clearance of 14 heifers to $40,000, av $9142
IT was a case of sisters doing it for themselves at Merridale Angus 2023 Annual Bull Sale at Tennyson, with a two-year ET female topping the sale.
Lot 46, Merridale Vicky S101 sold for $40,000 to Cairnbrae Angus, Paraparap, while her sister Lot 47, Merridale Vicky S108 sold to the same buyer for $20,000, easily outshining the rest of the female portion of the sale.
Cairnbrae stud principal Tim Carson said his staud had been watching those top-priced females for a while.
"We really respect the Merridale breeding program and we came here thinking that we couldn't pick between [Lots] 46 and 47 when looking at them," Mr Carson said.
"We couldn't split them and decided we had to take that two of them home with us.
"They're nice, good, strong heifers and, we really liked the pedigrees and the Vicky families have really stood the test of time."
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The stud, who recently moved from breeding Angus after specialising in Jersey cattle, were aiming to get a good foundation in their early years, according to Mr Carson.
"We're really starting to make sure we start with really good genetics... because that's the foundation of what you can build your herd around," he said.
"It's a little bit like establishing your centre half-forward and a centre half-back on a footy field - they are the core of the team.
"My dad was one of the leading Jersey cattle studs in Australia, and he's just retired with Cainbrae Jerseys. having one last final dispersal sale soon."
The sire for both of those top Angus heifers was Bushs Easy Decision 98 while their dam was Merridale Vicky K74.
Merridale stud co-principal Peter Collins said embryo transfer (ET) heifers were very popular with buyers at the sale.
"Every year we sell our ET drop and every year as you go through all our sales, there is a good interest in them upfront, as they are the genuine article," Mr Collins said.
"It had depth of pedigree, and while the numbers may not necessarily be the greatest, you just don't get the chance to buy these kinds of heifers every year."
Merridale Vicky S101 had estimated breeding (EBVs) of +57 kilograms for 200-day growth, +105kg for 400-day growth and +136kg for 600-day growth.
The mature cow weight recorded on the heifer was +132kg while gestation length equalled -9.6 and a calving ease direct of +7.1.
Merridale Vicky S108's EBV's of +65kg for 200-day growth, +120kg for 400-day growth and +149kg for 600-day growth.
Its mature cow weight recorded +150kg while it also recorded a carcase weight of +78kg.
Mr Collins also said weaner sales of cattle with Merridale blood had done better than expected for him despite the softening of prices over the past few months.
"We just try to breed good cows because we know if we get good cows, we are going to get good bulls," he said.
"We could chase numbers, but people are going to like at what they look at, and I think that is reflected through the beginning of this year for us by getting to the basics of growth, power and weight."
The top bull of the sale was Lot 4, Merridale Shermanator, the brother of the two top priced heifers, which sold for $30,000 to large scale livestock breeder Hewitt Cattle Australia.
That bull's EBV's recorded a +59kg for 200-day birth weight, +112kg for 400-day growth and +142kg for 600-day growth.
A major volume buyer of the sale was regular Merridale customer Costello Rural, Corryong who purchased eight bulls in total at the sale.
Graham Costello from the group said their top priced bull Lot 6, Merridale Sebastian S7 bought for $28,000 was very impressed with its carcase.
"I've been buying bulls here [at Merridale] for more than 30 years, and over time you find the cattle to be reliable."
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