UPDATED 9:30am September 8, 2022
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Australia wide seedstock interest in the Milwillah Angus program has helped spur prices into record territory, with a bull sold for $200,000 and another for $170,000 at the stud's bull sale on Friday near Young.
Overall the Caldwell family achieved a full clearance of 112 bulls sold to a top price of $200,000 and average of $30,450 - a record top price and average for the stud.
Western Australian based Arkle Angus stud, Esperance, outlaid $200,000 for Milwillah Jaal R138 - a Milwillah keeper bull which was an additional entry to the catalogue.
Sold free of semen rights with all semen retained for on-farm use at Milwillah, Milwillah Jaal R138 is a son of Milwillah Jaal P3 and out of Milwillah Barunah P263, he weighed 910 kilograms with a scrotal circumference of 42 centimetres.
Arkle Angus' Siobhan Cowan was happy she made the trip over.
"It was our first chance to see the bull but we were already excited about his pedigree," she said.
"He will work well over cows with Millah Murrah and Coonamble bloodlines.
"He will also work well over our Paratrooper cows.
"He has a special set of figures but the best thing was his phenotype matched them.
"We expect he will be the next Paratrooper through our herd."
Speaking after the sale, Milwillah Angus' Will Caldwell was very happy.
"I feel humbled by this result and humbled by the quality of cattlemen and women who attended and competed for our sires on Friday," he said.
"We are trying to offer something unique here at Milwillah - a one stop shop for all Angus and Ultrablack requirements.
"We're attempting to put all bulls through their paces with 70-80 per cent of this year's sale team being used as yearlings.
"Bulls are forced to work from a young age in numerous different locations across NSW and southern Qld, returning to the south to compete and get back into sale order off oats crops.
"I feel this adds another hurdle that these young sires need to get over before being sold and can only be positive for our clientele.
"We received great local support with buyers from five states involved.
"There has been stud interest that has come this year from WA and SA who have been following our cow families.
"We are gaining momentum with our program and this result shows the confidence buyers have in our bulls.
"Studs that purchased bulls include Chasmac Ultrablacks, Calendoon Angus, Arkle Angus, Sara Park Angus, Peake's Angus, Mawarra Genetics, Texas Angus, Hatton and Co, Absolute Angus, Yallambee Angus, and Kidman Angus.
"We breed commercially viable cattle, emphasising their constitution.
"The success of the sale has been a result of the great effort of all the team here at Milwillah Angus.
"We have built a culture internally with an emphasis on certain values which includes how the animals are treated and best practices for them to thrive."
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Mr Caldwell said Jaal R138 has always been a keeper in his mind.
"It was only just recently that we decided to sell the walking rights to give another operation the opportunity to share this exclusive bloodline," he said.
"I have worked hard on this new genetic line and we have retained 100pc of the semen rights to protect the bull and this bloodline.
"Semen will only be used on-farm at Milwillah and Arkle Angus with a large volume of sons available from both operations to come.
"It is exciting that in two years time we will have some of his sons at this sale."
Milwillah Powerpoint R318 also sold for a six-figure price tag, bought at $170,000 by a partnership of the Sykes family of Mawarra Genetics, Longford, Vic and the Peake family of Peakes Angus studs, Barraba.
The same duo purchased Milwillah Moonshine R337, by Milwillah Moonshine M131, for $52,500.
Stephen Peake said he has confidence in the bulls purchased.
"We have used Milwillah bulls in the past and been very happy," he said.
"Milwillah Powerpoint R318 was a standout for us out of a magnificent draft of bulls on offer.
"His phenotype, structure, weight gain and mobility are exceptional. He has good data across all traits. We study cow families very hard and he ticked all the boxes.
"Milwillah have already used him in two joinings and that says to us he is a good bull."
The Duddy family of Sara Park Angus, Glen Innes, paid $85,000 for Milwillah Moonshine R256, a 890kg son of Milwillah Moonshine M131.
Interstate buyers continued to operate at the top end of the catalogue with the McKinlay family, Gogango, Qld, paying $80,000 for Milwillah Powerpoint R207.
Milwillah Napa S23 sold for $60,000 to Buchan Station, Buchan, Victoria, and Warriwillah Farm, Moriac, Vic, with Buchan Station also purchasing Milwillah Powerpoint R283 for $40,000.
The volume buyer was Ulladulla Pastoral, Ulladulla, Holbrook which bought seven bulls.
The sale was conducted by Nutrien and Elders with Andrew Wishart of Nutrien as the auctioneer. "It was a tremendous sale. The Caldwell family should be congratulated," he said.
