Have you been flicking through the pages of the livestock section of The Land continually amazed about the number of bulls being sold, and the personal records being achieved by all studs this season?
Well we have crunched the numbers for you to come up with the highest priced bulls, the top ranking sale averages, what numbers of bulls have sold from each breed and overall how many bulls have gone under the hammer in what some people say is the best selling season they have seen.
All calculations have been based on sales held from August 1 to 31 that have been included in The Land print edition.
In total 4052 bulls were sold at auction of the 4118 offered, resulting in a clearance rate of 98.4 per cent and gross of $56,134,824.
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Of this 3166 of the bulls sold came from NSW sales, while 886 came from Queensland sales.
The average price paid for a bull in August was $13,845, with bulls sold at sales held from August 8 to 14 meeting a strong market, averaging $15,598 for 988 sold.
Breaking it down breed by breed, Angus held the majority of the market with 3017 bulls sold for a $14,409 average. This equates to 74.4pc of the offering.
Herefords were next with 334 sold at an average of $12,529 ahead of 201 Charolais sold at an $12,676 average and Shorthorns with 114 bulls sold for a $15,329 average.
Simmental bulls averaged $11,343 for 102 sold while 90 Limousins averaged $9410 and 70 Santa Gertrudis bulls averaged $14,564.
The Speckle Park breed sold 57 bulls for a $10,068 average and Brafords sold 17 at a $9941 average. Six Murray Greys averaged $4833, five Brangus averaged $24,200 and a mixed offering at the Gloucester All Breeds Sale saw 39 bulls average $6800.
Yearling bull numbers within sales are on the rise with around 500 R-drop 16 to 18-month-old bulls or 12-month-old, genuine yearling bulls sold in August. They came mainly from Angus studs showing a rise in demand for younger sires.
HIGH PRICES
Taking out the top spot for the highest priced bull sold in August was Watasanta PT 2688M sold for $100,000 to Yarrawonga Santa Gertrudis, Qld and Diamond H Santa Gertrudis, Qld at the Watasanta Santa Gertrudis 13th annual sale at Tamworth.
From the same sale was the $72,500 August second high-seller Watasanta Prime Mover 2654 purchased by Dennis Moxey, Denngal stud, Forbes.
At last Friday's Dunoon Angus, Holbrook, sale, Dunoon Q1163 sold for the third top price of $68,000 to Bongongo Angus, Coolac with underbidders of ABS Australia.
This was the highest selling Angus bull for the month of August, surpassing Moogenilla Q33, from Moogenilla Angus, Condobolin, that was knocked down for $64,000 to syndicate buyers Rennylea Angus, Culcairn, Pathfinder Angus, Gazette, Vic and semen company Agri-Gene.
Ardrossan Angus, Talmalmo, rounded out the top five when their bull, Ardrossan Nectar Q67, was snapped up for $60,000 by Bannaby Angus, Taralga.
The highest-priced Shorthorn bull was Royalla ZZ TOP R046 sold for $56,000 to Polldale Shorthorns, Dubbo during the Royalla Shorthorn Bull Sale, Yeoval, last Friday.
On the same day in the north of the state, Ironbark Marshall Q141 was knocked down for $54,000 to Noel and Liz Cook, Kindon Station, Qld, at the Ironbark Hereford Sale, Barraba.
AVERAGES
The highest averaging sales were Watasanta Santa Gertrudis, Tamworth that averaged $20,498 across 30 bulls followed by Clunie Range Angus, Wallangra which averaged $19,442 across 156 bulls sold.
Victorian based Te Mania Angus stud achieved the second highest average at their Walgett sale which saw 107 bulls average $18,327.
A new Shorthorn record on-property sale average was achieved at the Futurity Shorthorn sale, Baradine on August 26 when 58 bulls were sold to a $17,293 average.
Queensland based BJF Limousin Sale etched itself in the Limousin history books as it hit a new breed record average of $11,266. Within the Sandon Glenoch Sale in Queensland, five Brangus bulls averaged $24,200.
JULY FINISHES WITH A RECORD BOOM
These sums do not include the final week of July that saw a new Australian Angus record top price of $225,000 and an Australian Angus record average of $20,967 achieved during the Texas Angus Bull Sale at Warialda on July 29, and many other stud bests.
From July 25 to July 31, a total 599 bulls were sold of 608 offered resulting in a 98.5pc clearance rate. Further breaking that down, 468 bulls were sold from NSW and 131 from Queensland.
Angus had most of the market share with 428 Angus bull sold compared to 84 Charolais, 51 Charbray, 31 Shorthorn and five Wagyu.
Bulls hit a top of $225,000, and an average of around $15,132 was paid per bull.
Stud and commercial females across two sales also reached impressive heights, with 113 of 115 Angus stud females sold for a $12,985 average.
Cows topped at $65,000 while pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) heifers reached $45,000 and unjoined heifers hit $34,000.
Moppy based Knowla Livestock are believed to have broken a record for unjoined commercial Angus heifer during their sale on July 30 where a pen of 15 unjoined Angus heifer, 15 to 16 months weighing 439kg on average, sold to a $4200 a head top, with the entire 91 offered averaging $3728/hd.
Knowla's unjoined heifers were Angus Verified.
SEPTEMBER SET TO IMPRESS
Sales are expected to continue to be strong throughout spring, especially this week with over 1075 bulls set to go under the hammer from September 1 to 6 at sales The Land will cover.
- Note: These figures have been calculated to the best of The Land's knowledge and only contains bulls sold during the auction.
- Note: While this information contains bulls sold in Qld, it only includes Qld sales printed in The Land.
- Note: If any significant information has been missed, please email hannah.powe@theland.com.au
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