REPEAT buyers chasing high quality Charolais bulls helped the Minnie-Vale Charolais stud achieve a 78 per cent clearance during their 16th annual on-property bull sale at Bexley, Narrabri, on July 26.
In a reduced offering from Jason and Sue Salier, 29 bulls sold at auction from the 40 on offer, while another two sold after to result in a total of 31 sold to average $4603 and top at $6500.
With a number of the Salier's long-term clients having to completely destock or halve their cow herds, including some that were previously running 300 to 350 breeders, it reflects just exactly how tough the season across the state is, and the impact it is having on the current bull sales.
Queensland buyers, John and Roslyn Mercer from Kandanga Valley Charolais and Charbray stud, Kandanga via Gympie, paid the top money of $6500 for Minnie-Vale Nouveau N43E, a rising two-year-old son of Ascot Kingtide K39E from Minnie-Vale Veejay K2E.
Weighing in at 810 kilograms, Nouveau N43E measured 39 centimetres in the scrotal circumference, nine and six millimetres in the rump and rib fats and 138 square centimetres in the eye muscle area (EMA) with an intramuscular fat of 3.8pc.
The Salier's neighbours and repeat buyers, the McKinnon family from Pinecliff, Narrabri, purchased the $6000 second top-priced bull, Minnie-Vale Newsworthy N16E.
Sired by Winchester Peacemaker D6E and from Minnie-Vale Undream E87E, the rising 26-month-old weighed 852kg with rump and rib fats of 12mm and 8mm, an EMA of 143 sq cm, IMF of 5.3pc and a scrotal circumference of 40cm.
Mr Salier said there was a spread in buyers with bulls sold from Singleton to Willow tree, Tamworth and locally within the Narrabri area, as well right up to Gympie in Queensland. "Bulls went to Mid North Coast repeat buyers from Grafton and Gloucester," he said.
Davidson Cameron and Co conducted the sale with auctioneer Luke Scicluna.
