Hicks Beef composite bulls top at $25,000 and average $12,500

Off the back of another successful year in the Beef Spectacular Feedback trial only a month ago, finishing third overall from 375 head and taking out joint honors for feedlot performance, buyers we keen to inspect the consistent performance the Hicks bulls could offer them.

The team at Hicks Beef again experienced a total clearance of 66 bulls as buyers came from multiple states chasing the extra punch their Composite bulls gave to their commercial programs, resulting in a top of $25,000 and averaging $12,500 across the board.

In the breakdown, 36 Black Composite bulls topped the day at $25,000 to average $14,028, while 17 Red Composite bulls met solid competition, selling to $17,00, averaging $10,588 and 13 Red Angus bulls completed the sale, selling to $18,000 and averaging $10,769.

The top bull was ABC R963, a homozygous black and polled bull by G A R Drive, out of a LCS G-Force G45 cow line, with outstanding birth, growth, carcase and maternal figures.

His father G A R Drive was one of the highest carcase bulls ever used in the Hicks Beef program, with a marbling EPD in the top 0.01 per cent of the database, with his Rib Eye EPD in the top 10 percent also.

He was sold to Regenerative Farms Trust, Wildwood, Victoria for $25,000 through an online bid.

The strongest action on the day, again came from Spinifex Pastoral Company, Swan Hill, who secured 15 bulls in total to a top of $21,000 to average $14,133, including the top priced Red Composite bull at $17,000 to join their extensive pastoral operation across several states.

The top Red Angus bull, Hicks Profitmaker R14, by the WFL Profitmaker sire, who went back to a Milwillah Marble Bar J53 female line, sold for $18,000 online to Robert Flannery, Clarencetown, and was a thick, heavy bull with a great balance of trait figures, great calving ease, high growth and muscle characteristics.

Local cattle producer Russell Parker, Holbrook, had been coming to Hicks Beef for a few years and watching the program closely and this year found a bull that would fit his program.

Mr Parker paid $18,000 for ABC R800, by Gibbs 3133A Mountaineer, described by the Hicks team as a bull that bends the calving ease and growth curve like no bull they had ever bred before.

Mr Parker said he was a beautifully long bull, with the right amount of muscle and fat cover and backed by a great spread of numbers to back his carcase attributes up.

"Length is where we get paid and this bloke has plenty of it, with good thickness and softness, while not overdone in any area," he said.

Mr Parker runs 400 cows predominantly producing feedlots steers, but said the beauty of these bulls and their progeny, they allowed you to get steers off to the feedlots or take them through on grass to places like Greenham's in Tasmania, offering you so many more options to chase the best markets.

Fellow Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial heavyweights showed their support of the consistent Hicks program, with James Millner, Rosedale Livestock, Blayney, securing two top Red Angus heifer bulls to join to his commercial Angus and Charolais females, while Russell Menzies, Mangoplah, paid $10,000 for a new Red Angus bull to join his commercial operation.

Rounding out the sale, Sanderson Pastoral, Mannus, bought two at $14,000 and $6000, Glendaruel Pastoral Company, Holbrook, averaged three at $13,667, Hotchin Proprietors Pastoral Trust bought four bulls at a $7000 average and Brad Gale, Waratah Bay, Vic, bought a Red Composite and Red Angus for $10,000 and $9000 respectively.

The sale was conducted by Elders Holbrook with Brett Shea adding up the bids.

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