Confidence in the northern beef industry brought Jim and Libby Litchfield and family to hold their inaugural Hazeldean Senegus and Angus Bull sale at Gracemere, Queensland, last Tuesday.
With many new buyers purchasing at the sale it was clear that this will be a sale to mark on the calendar for next year for many.
Overall 57 bulls sold from 60 giving a 95 per cent clearance with an average of $4250. The Angus draft of 20 bulls met a 100pc clearance with an average of $4649 and the Senegus bulls sold 37 from 40 giving a 92.5pc clearance for a $4864 average.
Top-price was $10,000 for a Senegus, Hazeldean SK034 weighing in at 806 kilograms, by the outstanding sire 5 Star 316. SK034 was purchased by Kim and Carol Lansdowne, Katherine River Pastoral Company, who were chasing this sire for his powerful genetics traits. Losing bidder was Geoff Maynard from 5 Star Senepols who was also a volume buyer. Mr Maynard’s interest in Hazeldean genetics led him to purchasing the entire female Senepol herd when the Litchfields dispersed their Senepol stud.
Second highest price was reached twice with Hazeldean Kumquat K658 (APR) for $9500 purchased by Harrow Grazing, Injune, QLD. Hazeldean Kumquat K658 was by the sire Matauri Reality 839.
Hazeldean Kings Cross K146 (HBR) also hit the $9500 and is going to his new home in the Theodore district, QLD, to John Dickens and family.