I
*Total clearance of 98 bulls to $32,000, av $11 398
"CLEARANCE is king" Alpine Angus, Rosewhite, manager, Chris Oswin, said after all the bulls at the stud's autumn sale found new homes.
The top priced bull, Alpine Quarterback, was knocked down for $32,000 to Tasmanian buyer, Wes Hall, who has properties at Sassafras and Scottsdale.
Mr Hall bought the top-priced bull at Alpine in 2018.
"Hopefully he has got another bargain off us," Mr Oswin said.
It was pleasing to see all the bulls sell, with most going to locals.
"The prices were pretty even throughout the sale, that took a lot of the bumps out of it," he said.
He said the top-priced bull was "very long", but balanced and moved very well.
"He has pretty snazzy figures too, low birth to growth, decent eye muscle and okay intramuscular fat.
"He is long, that is why we are using him - it's hard to get length".
Semen was being retained and would be used with "strong phenotype" females.
"He's got that birth to growth spread that guys chase, especially the smaller breeders," he said.
Mr Hall said he hadn't seen the bull, but went off Mr Oswin's advice.
He said Mr Oswin had another consultant recommend lot 45, "so that was the way it went.
"I bought a bull there [Alpine Elevator M268 CGKM268] a few years ago, he was a straight-bred Coonamble bull and I have got a lot of females by him," he said.
"They are good people to deal with".
Quarterback had good figures and Mr Hall said he was also looking for an outcross for his 500 head breeding herd.
Steers were sold to a local feedlot, while heifers were either kept or offered pregnancy-tested-in calf to buyers.
"Alpine don't have overfed, blown up bulls and that sort of stuff - I have done quite a bit of looking for bulls this year," he said.
The top-priced bull was lot 45, the August 2021-drop Alpine Quarterback S431 PV.
Quarterback was by CSWQ001 Murdeduke Quarterback Q011, out of CGKP221 Alpine Wilcoola P221.
He had Trans Tasman Angus Cattle Evaluation figures of a birthweight of 2.6 kilograms, a 200-day weight of 62kg, 400-day weight of 115kg and 600-day weight of 156kg.
His calving ease direct figure was +2.1 per cent and his CE-Dtr was +1.2. per cent.
Quarterback had an eye muscle area of 12.2 square centimetres, a rib fat of -1.8 millimetres and rump measurement of -0.9mm.
His retail beef yield as 0.6 per cent and his intramuscular fat was 2.8pc.
He had a $A value of $230 and a $A-L of 406.
The bull weighed 650kgs and had a scrotal circumference of 37 cm.
Several bulls sold for between $16,000-$22,000 a head.
Nutrien South East stud stock manager, Peter Godbolt, Albury, said it was a very good result for Alpine.
"There was a pretty good, solid top end of the market to a lot of commercial repeat buyers," Mr Godbolt said.
"As you can see from the Myrtleford weaner sales there is a lot of Alpine blood there".
Mr Godbolt said it appeared Mr Hall picked Quarterback on the bull's "type and numbers.
"He is a real thick bull, for a heifer type option - Alpine are keeping semen, which says what they think of the bull".
Most of the bulls went to local producers, down to Ensay and Omeo.
Volume buyers included Wirrathanra, Sale, (four) Bowmans Forest, Pty Ltd Bowmans Forest, Dalbasco Investment Eurobin and Tamcal Livestock, Swan Reach (three).
Several bulls went to Tasmania and to south-west Victoria, while one went to Ventnor, Phillip Island.
- Subscribers have access to download our free app today from the App Store or Google Play