Repeat and new buyers stepped up for bulls at the Absolute Angus stud sale in Trafalgar on Wednesday.
The top-priced bull, Lot 6, Absolute Rimfire T151, was bought by Brad Rinaldi, Wonthaggi, for a steady $12,000.
The September 2022-drop bull weighed 695 kilograms and was sired by Milwillah Rimfire R1023 and out of Absolute N260.
The sale topper recorded TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation figures of +5.0 square centimetres eye muscle area, birth weight of -0.7kg, 200-day weight of +28kg, 400-day weight of +56kg and a 600-day weight of +66kg.
The bull also had rib and milk figures of +4.8kg and +17kg, respectively, and intra muscular fat (IMF) of +4.2kg.
Mr Rinaldi's farm manager, Jamie Joyce, Wonthaggi, was present at the sale and did the bidding.
He also bought the sale's second highest priced bull, Lot 34, Absolute Rimfire T965, for $10,000.
The Wonthaggi farm had the top-priced bull's full brother at home from a previous sale and Mr Joyce said it had performed well.
He bought Mr Rinaldi's eleventh and twelfth Absolute Angus bulls at Wednesday's sale.
Mr Joyce said Lot 6's low birth weight and calving ease attracted him.
"He's a nice thick, straight bull," he said.
The bull will be first joined with a mob of Angus spring-calving heifers.
"He'll have time to have a bit of rest and then he'll be into action," he said.
Mr Joyce said he kept coming back to the stud as they provided excellent customer service and were easy to deal with.
A total of 21 bulls were sold from the 28 offered at the sale, to the top of $12,000 and an average of $6052.
This was back on the 2023 sale where 32 bulls were sold from 66 offered, to a top of $16,000 (twice) and an average of $8781.
Absolute Angus stud principal Anthony Pisa said while the sale was "solid", the timing had an effect.
"The way the industry is going at the moment, we have got probably too many bulls in Gippsland," he said.
"The quality bulls sold well but a few got passed in as well so that was a bit disappointing."
Mr Pisa said genetically, his stud was "up there with the best".
"Overall it was a solid sale, considering what other studs are going through," he said.
He said Absolute offered genetics and pedigrees that were "necessary to the breed".
"Having good birth weight and good data, with longevity, we offer the overall package," he said.
Nutrien Studstock southern district auctioneer Tim Woodham sold the Absolute Angus bulls.
He said the buyers at the sale were "selective".
"We are in a tougher environment at the moment with seasonal conditions," he said.
"Obviously, cattle prices are where they are so people were a bit more selective but they chased down the bulls that they felt were a bit better.
"Whether it was data or performance, they were into them."
Mr Woodham said the top bulls sold well.
"For those that have been part of the [Absolute Angus] programme for a while now, they're return buyers," he said.
"There's nothing like return buyers coming to your doorstep and they've got faith and confidence in what [Mr Pisa] is trying to do."
Sam and Megan Dakin, Kilcunda, were first time buyers at the sale.
They bought Lot 2, Absolute Trojan T920, for $5000.
Mr Dakin said the couple liked the bull's "shape".
"We thought all the bulls were good quality," he said.
Ms Dakin added that the bulls all had "excellent temperament" and "good birth weights".
Their new bull will be joined with a mob of mixed Angus and Charolais cows straight away.
