While much of the world focus has been on records breaking at the Olympics in Tokyo, closer to home the Australian beef industry and more importantly Angus breeders are rewriting the record books, with Texas Angus claiming both the Australian Angus Record Price for a HBR Bull sold at auction and the record average at auction for an Angus bull sale.
On a day described by breeder Ben Mayne as, ‘What dreams are made of’, Texas reached a total clearance of 181 Angus bulls for the record average of $20,967.
Mr Mayne said that he had never seen anything like this sale before.
‘It was like firecrackers going off, bids were flying every where and we had to set more spotters up to make sure no bids were missed’.
The record top price of $225,000 was achieved on Lot 7, 15-month old Texas Iceman R725 when he sold to Robert McKenzie, owner of Macka’s Pastoral and Verified Black Angus Beef Brand, Macka’s Australian Black Angus Beef, Gloucester NSW.
In their catalogue the Mayne’s described Iceman as, ‘One of the widest, most heavily-built muscular bulls we have bred for a long time, with a huge back-end’.
Something buyer Robert McKenzie clearly agreed with when confirming the bull will, ‘Give us something we’re looking for to put some serious power into our 3500-commercial herd operation’.
Iceman was sired by Poss Maverick, who had 9 sons in the sale that sold for an average of $50,000.
Genetics Australia have been tasked with marketing the semen from Texas Iceman R725.
The previous record was set by Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 at the 2019 Millah Murrah Angus Bull Sale, when he sold to the Cowan Family, Arkle Angus, with ABS Australia securing the semen rights.
Millah Murrah also set the previous record average at their 2020 bull sale when a full clearance of 78 Angus bulls averaged $20,384.
The day following the bull sale saw Texas come close to also breaking the record average for a registered Angus female sale, when they achieved an average of $13,374 for 107 Angus females. This record currently sits at $13,709, set by Millah Murrah Angus at their 2017 female sale, selling 234 Angus Females.
Top price of $65,000 at the Texas Female Sale, was for Lot 26, five year old Texas Undine M508, with heifer calf at foot, selling to Boambee Angus, East Seaham NSW.
Poss Mavrick daughters were also hot property in this sale with heifers sired by him averaging $31,000.
Given the situation currently within the beef industry where the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator (EYCI) has hit record record highs, sitting at 998.25 on August 3rd and saleyards and AuctionsPlus are seeing record after record in terms of high prices, it is no surprise that the Spring Bull selling season is also breaking records. Angus Bull sellers are reaping the rewards as restockers chase high quality Angus bulls to join with their females.
According to Wendy Mayne, ‘The beef industry is on a high, there is so much excitement in the beef market and I believe that this confidence will remain for a few years’.
‘There are not enough females in the market at the moment and when you head north there are empty paddocks full of grass’
Mr Mayne said the Angus breed is really powering on, a lot of people are restocking with Angus and Angus cross cattle, not the breed they had prior to destocking’.
‘And as such, the demand for quality Angus bulls is going to be huge this season as they want to buy the genetics to breed the next generation of cows.’
‘One thing we noticed was that commercial breeders were challenging the seedstock producers for bulls at the high end of the market’
And while the Mayne’s were excited to break the record average, they don’t believe in the current climate that this will last for very long.
In fact the average came close to being broken at the mid July Bowen Stud Cattle Bull Sale, when 61 Angus bulls sold for an average of $20,082.
The Texas sale has not been the only sale in the last week to hit some record highs with the following sales breaking their own records:
- Eastern Plains sold 78/78 bulls to $24,000 twice and an average of $14,744
- Bald Blair Angus sold 103/103 bulls to $32,000 and average of $13,836
- Glenavon Angus sold 103/103 bulls to $40,000 and average of $14,369
- Casino All Breeds sold 28/28 Angus bulls to $20,000 and average of $11,447
- Swanbrook Angus sold 36/36 bulls to $16,000 and average of $10,471
- Sara Park Angus sold 36/36 bulls to $35,000 and average of $16,416
- Knowla Angus sold 79/79 bulls to $40,000 and average of $17,056
- Gates Angus sold 49/49 bulls to $19,000 and an average of $11,163
- Dulverton Angus sold 88/88 bulls to $31,000 and an average of $15,159