TEXAS Angus stud has set what is believed to be an industry-wide record gross of $5.864 million at its annual bull sale at Warialda today.
Underpinned by a large following of commercial producers along with stud operations across Australia wanting to get their hands on bulls which are industry relevant in how they combine profitably, fertility, and eating quality with a reduced carbon footprint, the sale resulted in a 100 per cent clearance.
In all, stud principals Ben and Wendy Mayne were 'shell shocked' when they sold 209 Angus bulls for a $28,055 average, $80,000 top price, and the industry-leading $5,863,500 gross.
The $5.864 million gross is thought to be the highest ever achieved by a cattle or sheep producer, with the next best cited the $5.628 million gross at the 2021 Tattykeel Australian White Sale at Black Springs, and $4.335 million gross at the 2021 Glenlands Droughtmaster Sale, Bouldercombe, Qld.
The strength and quality right throughout the draft of bulls was evident with commercial buyers bidding boldly to secure the brothers of the Texas Angus heifers which recently excelled in eating quality during the 2022 RAS Beef Challenge.
The first 20 lots in the sale averaged a whopping $33,700, the first 50 averaged $31,735 and at the lot 100 mark, the average was $30,955.
SALE HIGHLIGHTS
The $80,000 sale-topping bull was Texas Bonus R204 purchased by John Hurley, Kiah Maroo Angus, Toobeah, Queensland, in a partnership with commercial Angus breeders, Cameron Henwood and Matthew Burrow.
Sired by Sydgen Bonus 8084 and out of Texas Undine P010, he was backed by five generations of donor females which shows the maternal strength he offers.
The two-year-old weighed 930 kilograms and had the highest intramuscular fat (IMF) figure in the catalogue at +4.4 which ranked him in the top two per cent of the breed.
He also sat in the top 1pc for docility (+38), top 2pc and 3pc for gestation length (-9.9) and calving ease direct (+10), respectively, and top 10pc for birthweight (+1.8).
Mr Hurley said the bull's genetics would be marketed and be used in the partner's commercial herds.
Pam Farragher and her son Rory of Benaba Angus, previously known as Seaham Grazing, at Seaham and Singleton, paid $70,000 for Texas Maverick R742 setting the sale's second-highest price.
The first son of Poss Maverick to be sold in this year's sale, he was a half-brother to last year's top-priced bull Texas Iceman R725 sold to Rob MacKenzie of Macka's Beef, Salt Ash, for a record price of $225,000, along with the $55,000 Texas Top Gun and Poss Deadwood who topped the American Angus bull sales last year selling for $900,000USD.
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Out of Texas Toque J602, he tipped the scales at 1075kg at 24 months and presented with a high-growth data set with an estimated breeding value (EBV) in the top 1pc for 600-day and carcase weight, top 2pc for 400-day weight, and top 3pc for 200-day and mature cow weights.
Texas Major R447 sold for the third-top price of $60,000 to the Nixon Family Trust, Drillham, Qld.
A 22-month-old son of Koojan Hills M46 he weighed 940kg and was out of Texas Toque M235.
The Nixons also purchased Texas Handyman R270, a son of Coonamble H268, for $28,000 to average $44,000 across the pair.
Also a notable highlight was Texas Maverick R763 sold for $55,000.
Michael Smith of Woodenbong north of Kyogle on the NSW and Queensland border outlaid $50,000 for Texas Nasa R301.
The Peake family of Bowen Poll Hereford and Peakes Angus, Barraba teamed up with the Hall family of Quarterway Angus, Scottsdale, Tas to purchase the lead lot of the sale, Texas Bonus R224, for $45,000.
Raff Andy, Millions Angus and Skipworth family, King Island, Tas, bought Texas Maverick S35 for $40,000, and Hewitt Cattle Australia, Bylong, outlaid $32,000 for Texas Katapult P434.
Harlees Angus, Tamworth, paid $28,000 for Texas Maverick R740, and Duddy Angus, Glen Innes bought Texas Maverick S64 for $26,000.
VOLUME BUYERS FILL LARGE ORDERS
The largest volume purchasers of Thursday's sale were first-time buyers Rostron Grazing, The Grove, Alpha, Qld which bought 17 bulls at an average of $25,059 to join to Droughtmaster/Charolais cows.
Bernard and Cynthia Andersons, Narrien Station, Clermont, Qld, bought nine bulls for an average of around $32,889 including Texas Reload R793, a full embryo transfer (ET) sibling to Ice Man R725, for $46,000.
Chasing low birthweight figures and good confirmation, the Andersons run around 2400 cows which are mainly Brafords. Steers are finish on native grasses for the European Union (EU) accredited and Grasslands markets, and they breed around 30 bulls for their own in-herd use.
Dobikin Pastoral Company Pty Ltd at Bellata in north-west NSW purchased 14 bulls at a $21,000 average, while McIntyre Ag at Mooramanna, St George, Qld, purchased seven bulls at a $29,000, Institutional Investments through Nutrien Roma, Qld, bought six to average $31,000, P Pastoral, Gunnedah bought six at a $27,333 average and Booky Cattle Co, Redland Bay, Qld, bought six averaging 24,000.
The sale was conducted by BJA Stock and Station Agents, Inverell, and Grant Daniel and Long, with guest auctioneer Wayne York, and Mark Duthie and Peter Brazier of GDL, all sharing the selling duties.
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