THE consistency of the composite bulls at the Hicks families annual Hicks Beef Autumn bull sale, Holbrook, attracted a large number of local buyers, who had to compete with new buyers who traveled from three States chasing the extra muscle and production in the highly poductive composite bulls.
The Hicks family have had a stella year again finishing in the top four of Australia's largest commercial feedlot trial, the Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial, run at Teys Australia's Jindalee feedlot, Stockinbingal, to become the most consistent producer in the six year trial history, finishing in the top 10 nearly every year and taking out the title in 2012.
Many remarked on the day that the Hicks Beef Composites were one of the best kept secrets in the beef industry, with bulls that offered that much performance and consistency and you could still buy them at respectable rates.
In the wrap up 35 of 36 bulls topped at $6500 on three occasions, averaging $4478, with 18 black composite bulls topping at $6500 to average $4819, seven Red Composite bulls topping at $6500, averaging $4750 for a collective $4800 average for 25 composite bulls, while 10 of 11 Red Angus bulls topped at $6250, averaging $3675.
Brad Kerin, "Springlands", Yeoval, paid $6500 for one of the top black composite bulls in a draft of three black and one red composite bulls, averaging $5438.
Mr Kerin runs 200 composite breeders, with an aim to produce steers to be sold as the season determined.
"We use to cross breed before we started buying at Hicks Beef seven years ago, but now with the Hicks family doing such a great job on performance, the hybrid vigour aspect is one less thing we have to worry about , when breeding," he said.
Mr Kerin was not overly worried about figures, as the stud has done the job on the figures and I just need to worry about buying good bulls that reproduce, are fertile and have plenty of growth about them.
His top bull was one of the heaviest in the draft, packed plenty of performance, with low birth and high growth and one of the strongest All Purpose Indexes in the catalogue, which nis based entirley on weighted measurable economic traits.
Brad and Irene Gale, Waratah Bay, Victoria, were also successful in the Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial taking out the reserve champion feedlot performance title with their composite team and were back at Hicks Beef to secure one of the top red composite bulls by WS Beef Maker for $6500, described as a real beef bull that covered all measurable traits that look good.
TR Ryan, Leneva, Vic, paid $6250 for the top Red Angus sire Hicks Ada J43, sired by their new growth sire Hicks Ada G11, who rewrote the records at Hicks, recording top one percent 400, scrotal, carcase weight and all $index traits and put it into his son, with low birth, high growth and an excellent balance of carcase data.
ND and KP Bird, "The Forest", Bethungra, set some high standards, taking home three of the top balck composite bulls to $5500 to average $4917, while the Fixter family trust, "Baroona:, Werst Wyalong, paid $6500 for the last of the top black composite bulls by the St Pauls Gary Lyon sire, with a moderate, easy doing frame, backed by a top two per cent of the breed All Purpose $index at 155.3.
Burrandool Partnership, "Fernside", Mendooran, bought three Red Angus bulls at $3333, while return clients Trefusis Pty Ltd, Ross, Tasmania, averaged two red composite bulls at $3500, Middle Station Pastoral Company, Wagga Wagga, loaded two black bulls at $4250 and $5500, while AuctionsPlus rounded out the best of the sale buying three black composite bulls at $4583 and a Red Angus sire at $4000.
The sale was conducted by Elders with Steve Ridley as the auctioneer.