Mark Boileau, Bannister Station manager, Goulburn, Daniel Tarlinton, Elders Crookwell, and Sam Lucas, Reiland Angus, with the top price bull, Reiland Melrose M78.
Beef producers chasing curve bending bulls with growth and carcass weight paid to a top of $18,000 at the Reiland Angus spring bull sale on Friday.
Held on-property on September 8 at Tumut by the Lucas family, the sale drew a total of 44 registered buyers from the Riverina, NSW southern slopes, NSW southern highlands, northern Victoria and Gippsland.
A total of 60 bulls sold from 68 offered for a top of $18,000 and average of $7117.
Repeat clients Tom and Chris Hughes, Bannister Station, Goulburn, NSW, paid the top price of $18,000 for Lot 14, Reiland Melrose M78 (ET).
The March 2016 drop Reiland Gangman G581 son weighed 813kg, and had a scrotal circumference of 41cm.
The bull had BREEDPLAN figures of +130kg for 600 day weight, +4.7kg for birthweight, and ranked in the top five per cent for carcase weight at +72kg.
A full embryo transfer brother, Reiland Miracle M118, was bought by Bannister Station for $7000.
Bannister Station manager Mark Boileau said the growth figures for M78 were exceptional.
“He has style, breed character and plenty of muscling,’’ Mr Boileau said.
“We have been buying Reiland bulls for 25 years – we have had good feedback from feedlots, the female fertility is good, we have no trouble getting over 90 per cent conception rate in the cows and in the high 80s in the heifers.
Bannister Station runs 700 breeding females and turns off feeder steers at 450-500kg liveweight.
Reiland co-principal Mark Lucas said the stronger presence of low birthweight bulls in the sale encouraged the commercial buying strength.
“The low birthweight had to be linked with decent growth and good carcase,’’ Mr Lucas said.
“We had five new clients at the sale and one bought the highest efficiency bull we have ever bred for $16,000.
“The buyer has a developing herd producing high performance cattle using outcross genetics.’’
Mr Lucas said the sale average was relevant to commercial industry trends.
“The strength of this sale is the return and repeat buyers,’’ he said.
Daniel Tarlinton, Elders Crookwell, brought repeat clients from Goulburn to the sale looking for bulls with growth.
“A total of three commercial clients picked up six bulls for their grassfed and feeder steer operations, and to breed females for their herd,’’ Mr Tarlinton said.
“The sale was strong, buyers picked out what they wanted and went after them.’’
The second top price of $16,000 was paid by John Fleming, Wagga, for Reiland Lyons L1045, a August 2015 drop son of Silveiras Conversion 8064.
Reiland Angus retained 50 per cent semen and marketing rights in the bull.
The 863kg bull ranked in the top two per cent on BREEDPLAN for eye muscle area, retail beef yield and feed efficiency.
Mr Fleming also outlaid $9000 for low birthweight sire, Reiland Murrumburra M272.
Graham and Judy Houston, Houston Pastoral, Burrowye, celebrated the purchase of their 100th bull from the Reiland stud over two decades. They paid $15,000 for this bull, Reiland Maitland M916.
Graham and Judy Houston, Houston Pastoral, Burrowye, Vic, celebrated the purchase of their 100th Reiland bull at the sale, after using the genetics for two decades.
The couple paid to a top of $15,000 for a total of five bulls on the day for their 2400 cow herd.
Mr Houston said bulls were selected on birthweight, 600 day weight and intramuscular fat percentage.
“Our breeding herd runs in steep country and we keep a close eye on fertility with neutral fat,’’ Mr Houston said.
“The first draft of our spring drop 2016 steers are off to the feedlot and they will weigh 480-490kg at 12 months – we are getting huge average daily gains.
“We have been slowly increasing our herd and need around 20 bulls a year.
“We sold 950 calves last year with only three not making the grade, so there is no real tail in the herd.
“This is helping with selling surplus heifers – it gives us serious lines of cattle to sell.’’
The Houstons recently sold PTIC second calving Reiland blood females on AuctionsPlus for $2650.
Among the volume buyers on the day were Dougal Kelly, Riverview Wallah & Co, Rugby, with three bulls to a top of $11,000; Dick Turnbull, Holbrook, with three bulls to $8000; Charles Sturt University, Wagga, taking home four bulls to $7000, and Kalkite Pastoral, Narrawa, NSW, with four bulls to $6000.
The sale was interfaced with AuctionsPlus for the first time, and also raised donations for the mental health awareness charity, RUOK?
The lucky winner of a trip to Beef 2018 at Rockhampton was James Chant, Oldbury Farm manager, Breadalbane, NSW, after purchasing four bulls at the sale to a top of $9000.
The sale was conducted by Landmark, Elders and GTSM with Michael Glasser and Kevin Norris sharing the rostrum.