HAZELDEAN Angus stud followed the general trend of this year's bull sales with an improved average and top at Willalooka, South Australia, on Tuesday last week.
There were 55 bulls sold from 58 offered, for an average of $6663, which was $592 up on last year.
First-time buyer Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, Tamworth, bought the top-price bull for $13,000, Hazeldean Leura L14.
The school runs its own Angus stud and students are involved in all aspects of the stud’s operation and management, including selection of cattle, marking and collection of production data, leading to an on-property bull sale, conducted by the students. The stud is managed by Marty Peeters, who inspected the Hazeldean bull at the recent Beef Field Days.
Leura was a late July 2015-drop weighing 732 kilograms and was sired by Rennylea Edmund Nore 11.
Buying the second-highest price bull at $11,000 were Andrew and Lisa Brown, Donald Brown and Co, Keppoch, via Padthaway, SA. Hazeldean Lambert L541 was a August 2015-drop weighing 754kg. The Browns are long-time clients of Hazeldean and focus on producing Angus calves for the yearling market at Naracoorte.
“I find Hazeldean cattle easy-doing and easy-calving, while producing good growth and weight for age, which is what we’re looking for,” Mr Brown said.
Also buying near the top of the catalogue was Rockallen Pastoral Company, Willalooka, buying Hazeldean Lary L141 for $10,000. The September 2015-drop, weighing 730kg, was sired by Ardrossan Justice NAQJ93 out of a Hazeldean dam. Rockallen bought a further two bulls to $7000. Ian and Louise Johnson, Amherst, Willalooka, also paid some of the top money at the sale, with one bull at $9500 and another at $9000.
Other South East buyers included Marcollat Pastoral, Marcollat, with two bulls at $8000, Boonoonar Partnership, Keilira, two bulls to $8000, JH Ryan and Son, Lucindale, SA, three bulls to $9500 and V and L Munro, Naracoorte, SA, two bulls to $8500.
Volume buyers included Hillcrest Pastoral Company, Avenue Range, SA, with six bulls to $9000, and AJ and DH Lock, Geranium, SA with five bulls to $7000. Interstate volume buyers and return clients JM and JE Ives, Hay, bought six bulls to $7000 twice.
Hazeldean stud principal Guy Cunningham was very happy with how the sale went.
“We sell younger bulls that are well-grown but not too big,” he said. “Fertility is the main trait we focus on, the whole Hazeldean stud philosophy is based on reproductive efficiency.”
The whole Hazeldean stud philosophy is based on reproductive efficiency.
- Guy Cunningham
The sale was conducted by Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn and Steen, with auctioneering duties shared between Spence Dix and Co’s Jonathan Spence and PPH and S’ Josh Manser.