*4 of 8 bulls sold to $6000, av $4750
*9 of 12 females sold to $15,000, av $7538
*Total clearance of 5 embryo packages sold to $1350, av $1150
THE second Royal Rumble All Breeds Sale at the Melbourne Royal Show had strong buyer interest in females, with an Angus cow and calf combination from south-west Victoria claiming the top price of the auction.
The $15,000 top price was paid to PJ Cattle Company, Mortlake, for Lot 10, PJ Kite R35, an October 2020-drop with a five-month-old calf.
It sold to the Murnane family from Baringa Park stud, Birregurra.
The sire of the cow was Landfall Keystone K132PV while its dam was PJ Kite F20SV.
Baringa Park stud co-principal Sarah Murnane said the cow was "beautiful and stood well".
"There's a lot of great breeding behind that and we were looking for something which was quiet with a good temperament," she said.
"We have been looking at PJ Cattle Company for a little bit now, and when this girl came up for sale, we wanted to ensure she was in our stud."
Ms Murnane said the cow would go straight into a breeding program with bull Baldridge Compass bought at Alumy Creek, Tenterfield, NSW, earlier this year.
PJ Cattle Company spokesperson Lochie McLauchlan said the auction was a great opportunity.
The stud topped the sale last year as well for a physical lot at the sale, with a three-in-one Angus cow in calf with a calf at foot combination that made $17,000.
"It's very rewarding that that we can do it again this year with a similar sort of unit," Mr McLauchlan said.
He said there had been a lot of rain in his region but "not too much that it'd impact operations".
"When you drive down to Victoria and our region, there is still a good amount of green grass, and so it hasn't affected us," he said.
"We've sold a similar sort of unit here today for a few thousand dollars less than last year, and that's just because of how markets are.
"But we're still managing to sell bulls and females, and I think it just goes to show that in breeding, anything that is on point always sells well."
He said he was also happy that the stud's embryos, heifers and cows and claves had gone to good families locally.
"Last year, we sold a cow to Colac, and now this year, we're doing the exact same thing, but with different buyers then last year," he said.
"But that's the proudest thing about this and that's the reason why we do it - we want to get our genetics out there into good herds."
Prices were lower across the board compared to last year's sale, and interest was lacking in some spots, with nine of 12 female lots selling to $15,000 and averaging $7538, while four of eight bulls sold to $6000, with an average of $4750.
The top-priced bull was Cann Valley Telegraph, by Cann Valley Cattle Co, Tallygaroopna, which was by last year's Melbourne Royal Show Australian Lowline grand champion bull, Rotherwood Qointreau On Ice and out of Cann Valley Quill.
There was a total clearance of five embryo packages which sold to $1350 for an average of $1150.
The top price in that embryo offering was for four embryos from Simmentals GB Livestock Lady Missile S108 and RF Caliber 014G, cosigned by GB Livestock, Braidwood, NSW.
There were six Limousins, five Angus, three Speckle Park, one Square Meater, Charolais, Murray Grey, Hereford and Simmental offered.
Dairy Livestock Services auctioneer Brian Leslie said the sale went well, with females particularly sought after.
"There was really-good demand at the top end, and it would have been nice to clear the bulls but [there was] probably not the interest here for them," he said.
