BOOROOMOOKA Angus celebrated 91 years of breeding with a record-breaking sale gross of $2.07M at their annual on-property bull sale held near Bingara last Friday.
The Munro family welcomed 185 registered bidders from all states and territories to their Keera station selling complex, to clear all 220 Angus bulls for a sale average of $9418 and a sale high of $26,000.
The first 30 bulls averaged $11,966 and was still at $10,948 after lot 60 and $9910 at lot 100.
Ayrvale Bartel E7 was the leading sire in this year’s draft with 40 sons on offer attracting a sale average of $12,800.
Included in the sire’s draft was the $26,000 sale high, Booroomooka Bartel K475 selling to long time supporter and advocate for Booroomooka’s breeding program, James Harris, Foster and Sons, “Abbington”, Uralla.
Weighing in at 812 kilograms, the 23 month-old had a weight for age (WFA) measure of 1.20kg and a scrotal circumference of 40 centimetres.
From a Sitz Upward daughter, Booroomooka Valmont H75, K475 measured in the top 10 per cent of the breed for eye muscle area (EMA) on Breedplan with +7.5 and the top 1pc for Carcase weight +87 and for $ profitability in all four Breeding Indexes.
Mr Harris, who officially opened the inaugural Booroomooka bull sale back in 1994, was so impressed with the calving ease and growth in the calves produced by his Bartel E7 son he purchased out of last year’s sale, returned this year with that bloodline in mind.
“I can’t fault the calves and this bull (K475) moves well, has a nice head, flows right through the body and stands up well,” Mr Harris said.
I liked his growth and fertility figures but structurally he is a well put together bull
- James Harris
“I liked his growth and fertility figures but structurally he is a well put together bull too.”
With a primarily Angus commercial operation that joins around 2300 females annually for the feeder market, Mr Harris admitted that bulls are bought to produce steers, but in this instance K475 will be used to produce quality females to infuse into the Abbington breeding herd.
Mr Harris purchased four bulls including three Bartel E7 sons and a Booroomooka Galileo son to average $18,000.
Bill and Margie Doak, Bundarra, attended their 17th consecutive Booroomooka bull sale to assist their 18 year-old son, Brad, select his first sire for his stud, Boxmoor Angus.
The family paid $24,000 for a Bartel E7 son, Booroomooka Bartel K344 who weighed 782kg at 23 months of age, with a WFA of 1.13kgs and a scrotal size of 40cm.
From an Ardrossan Equator A241 daughter, Booroomooka Passive H655, measured in the top 10pc for IMF, top 5pc for 200-, 400- and 600-days weights, and top 1pc for milk and carcase weight.
“There is a good market for commercially affordable bulls and with a good set of figures and indexes and a sire line that has proven himself throughout Australia, this bull will be ideal to breed foundation females for the stud and bulls for our own use and to sell,” Mr Doak said. The Doak family secured a second Bartel E7 son for $14,000.
First time buyers, The Murray family, Kindee Pastoral Company, Injune, Queensland, flew in and put a draft of 12 bulls together from the first 50 lots offered to top at $15,000 and average $12,083.
Though their association with the Munro family dates back to the 1960’s when Kindee was operating out of Moree, this is the first time the Pastoral Company have purchased the Booroomooka bulls for their Santa/Angus/Charolais operation in central QLD.
Andrew Murray was selecting on WFA for their weaner operation which yards around 1700 weaners at their annual sale in Roma each July.
“We were also looking for Booroomooka bulls with good IMF up to +3 and also birth weight and ease of calving,” Mr Murray said.
Mr Murray will join this draft of Angus bulls to Santa females, and infuse a higher Angus content back into their breeding herd.
“Back in the day we were traditionally Angus, so we are going back to our main stay,” he said.
Across two properties, “Cowangah”, Taroom and “Muya”, Injune, the family operated pastoral company join around 2800 - 3000 females annually.
Other significant purchases included Moonabah Partnership, Tamworth, who secured 10 bulls; Doug and Wendy Collins, King Angus Beef, King Island, who have been buying Booroomooka Angus Bulls for 18 years purchased nine bulls; Eight bulls were purchased by long time customers S N Nivison and Co, Walcha and Plumthorpe Past Co, Barraba; Tony and Karen Golding, Little Meadows Angus Stud, WA purchased Booroomooka Bartel K320 over the phone after inspecting the bull before the sale and described him as “a stylish bull packed with power”.
The record setting sale was well received by stud principal Sinclair Munro with the sale gross exceeding last year’s total by $650,000 and pushing the sale average up $2718 on 2015.
Mr Munro said his family were overwhelmed with the positive comments and spirited bidding on the sale day.
According to the sale statistics published by Angus Australia the closest grossing sale for 2016 was $1.29M, and the 2016 Booroomooka sale looks to be an all time gross sale record for the breed.
Luke Scicluna, Davidson Cameron and Co, Gunnedah, hailed the sale a great success with the results not only showing the confidence in the beef industry, but also the Booroomooka breeding program, where buyers can purchase knowing the depth of knowledge and commitment that has gone into breeding predictable bulls.
Settling agents were Davidson Cameron and Co, with Luke Scicluna, Daniel McCulloch and 2016 ALPA NSW Young Auctioneer winner Tom Tanner controlling the bids.
