KO Angus sells bulls for record $14,105 average

The strong result was the high point of a rollercoaster week for the stud, who flew into action to adapt to the latest COVID-19 restrictions - holding the auction in an outdoor selling ring for the first time with a socially distanced crowd.

RELATED READING

KO Angus manager Tim Lord said the result definitely exceeded their expectations.

"We were happy to be able to hold an auction here on farm, there was also a big presence on AuctionsPlus today and the bulls went far and wide," Mr Lord said.

The $32,000 sale-topping bull, KO Enhance R31, was one of 18 Sydgen Enhance sons in the draft and the first to sell on the day, snapped up by Sheridan Zuev, High Springs Developments, Verona.

It was the first time the stud had offered Enhance sons and it followed the success of their offering of Enhance yearling heifers last year.

KO achieved an Australian record average of $9068 for unjoined heifers last year and Enhance heifers had the highest average ($12,600) and top price ($19,000) of the females on offer.

KO Enhance R31 was one of only nine Herd Book Register bulls in the breed with a birth weight 2.8 or lower, a 400-days of 118 or higher and intramuscular fat of 2.5 or over.

The 18-month-old also impressed with an eye muscle area of +7.2 and direct calving ease of +3.9.

His purchaser Ms Zuev, who runs a largely commercial herd in the Bega Valley, said KO Enhance R31 was just what they needed for their vealer operation.

"I think he's a really nice balanced bull, with good type, high indexes, he's just a really neat package," Ms Zuev said, noting she had purchased Enhance daughters as stud cattle from KO last year.

This sale, Ms Zuev was also the winning bidder of KO 672 Fireball R82, who sold for $26,000.

The 12-month-old bull was the first Fireball son offered in Australia and had 16 estimated breeding values and dollar indexes in the top 20 per cent with an IMF of +4.0.

He was also out of KO Champagne P96, another genetic line Ms Zuev was chasing.

Mr Lord said he inspected the Fireball bull along with Enhance in 2019, and they were the two stand-out US sires he saw.

"(KO Fireball) R82 was quite unique to have a low birth weight, high growth, positive fats and high IMF, he was the complete package," Mr Lord said.

"It will be interesting to see how both these bulls' sons go in the industry moving forward."

There were five Fireball sons in the draft and they sold for an average of $13,000.

Another top sale was KO M518 Momentous Q87, who was bought for $28,000 by The Pastoral Company.

"We really liked him, we've used him in our Spring joining last year to back up our AI programs," Mr Lord said.

"All the visitors say he was probably the best Momentous son in Australia."

The bull was the heaviest in the draft, weighing 960kg and was out of KO Dream J45.

Mr Lord said J45, by Vermont Dream Y301, was one of KO's best donor cows and the maternal sister of two previous Australian record cows.

Volume buyers included Somerton Pastoral, Lake Bathurst and Benlendi Pastoral Company, Westbrook who each took home five sires.

Bulls went all over the state and beyond, including the Hunter Valley, Gunnedah and Braidwood.

There was also a strong component of the bidding done via AuctionsPlus.

The online platform saw 343 people logged into the sale, 16 active bidders and 25 lots sold. Close to 80 per cent of the lots saw bids from AuctionsPlus.

The sale was conducted by Elders with Lincoln McKinlay (Elders) taking the bids.

Have you signed up to The Land's free daily newsletter? Register below to make sure you are up to date with everything that's important to NSW agriculture.