Online bidding may have played less of a role at this year's Narranmore Angus bull sale at Elong Elong, on Friday, August 25, but that was still where the top-priced bid was knocked down.
The bull, Narranmore S289, had a high proportion of Millah Murrah breeding in its pedigree, being by Millah Murrah Hector N54 and from a daughter of Millah Murrah Emporor H86.
At $6500, the bull was knocked down to an online bid from James Frost, Hillden, Bannister, and had an actual birth weight of 43 kilograms, the third lowest in the offering, backed up with a birth weight breeding value of +3.2 and gestation length figure of -6.4.
The 22-month-old bull also weighed 834kg, with an eye muscle area of 104 square centimetres and 5.8 per cent intramuscular fat.
Several bulls made $6000, including the opening lot, Narranmore S226, which sold to Tom and Michelle Ward, Mendooran.
The son of Canadian sire, DMM International 54D, and from a Millah Murrah Klooney K42 daughter, weighed 940kg with 109sq cm EMA and 6.5pc IMF.
Also among those who paid $6000 were Joe Sheridan, Coolah, for the 884kg son of RDMG Quake Q8, Narranmore S177; Geoff and Sue Rains, Birriwa, for a 900kg Boss Lake Bonafide 722E son, Narranmore S206; Ian Stanford, Wongarbon, also bought a Boss Lake Bonafide son, the 878kg Narranmore S225; and, Chris and Dee Roweth, Mendooran, bought the 852kg son of Quake Q8, Narranmore S175.
That was one of two bulls the Roweths bought, the other being the 940kg son of DMM Crank 13E, Narranmore S198.
Jamie Pittman and his overseer, Clare Webb, made the trek up from Stanhope and Elderslie, near Singleton and Branxton respectively, to pay $5000 for Narranmore S239, an 898kg Crank 13E son.
Miss Webb said they had purchased bulls and females from Narranmore previously and found them to be good to handle in the yards as well as for calving ease, 200-day weight and short gestation, which suited their enterprise where they aimed to produce as many calves as possible and then sell them as weaners.
Repeat buyer, Murray Coe, "Ewendale", Dunedoo, bought the 870kg Narranmore S193, by Klooney K42 and from an Emperor H86 daughter.
Mr Coe, who paid $5000 for his bull, said he liked how the Narranmore cattle worked in the yards. He targeted Caroona feedlot with the steers from his 650-cow herd.
Another repeat buyer targeting the feedlot market, including as feeder steers through the Dubbo saleyards, was Paul Tobin, Fassifern, Mendooran, who at $5000 was the buyer of Narranmore S195, a 924kg son Crank 13E.
"I liked his growth traits in the 400 and 600 days," he said, the bull having been offered with figures of +107 and +146.
All up, 18 bulls sold from 44 offered to average $5361.
Vendor Ian O'Leary the results were "pretty much on par with what we expected", mainly due to the drying season, while his wife, Christine said it was also good to see a few new buyers, too, adding to the mix of bidders.
The sale was conducted by Milling Stuart Pty Ltd, Dunedoo, with co-principal Angus Stuart as auctioneer, and online via AuctionsPlus.
Andrew Norris
Editor at The Land
Editor at The Land
