Mark Lucas, Reiland Angus, with top price buyer and repeat client Edward Aston, Thuddungra and Rankins Springs, with Michael Smithers, Quandialla, and the $25,000 Reiland Usher U982
Commercial producers chasing marbling, growth and calving ease pushed prices to $25,000 at the Reiland Angus autumn bull sale.
Interfaced with AuctionsPlus, the sale was hosted by the Lucas family at Killimicat Station, Tumut, on April 16 and drew 24 registered buyers.
A total of 60 bulls were sold under the hammer from the 77 offered to a top of $25,000 band average of $8342. Four bulls were sold immediately afterwards.
Repeat client Edward Aston, of Thuddungra and Rankins Springs, secured the top price bull, Lot 24 Reiland Usher U982, an August 2023 drop son of Reiland Pirelli P913.
Weighing 800kg and with a 42cm scrotal circumference, the young sire ranked top 4 per cent on BREEDPLAN for marbling at +5.3 per cent.
Mr Aston also paid $12,000 for Reiland U-Recharge U875 and $11,000 for Reiland U-Compass U364.
He was impressed with the young sire’s weight for age, body length and frame size.
Mr Aston runs 400 autumn and spring calving Angus cows, a large cropping enterprise and opportunity feedlot, growing out heavy weight steers to sell over the hooks to Teys.
His last consignment of Reiland blood steers averaged $2450 at 16 months of age and averaging 770kg liveweight while surplus heifers sold over the hooks for $2800.
The second top price of $16,000 was paid by repeat client Dougal Kelly, Wallah Pastoral, Rugby, for Reiland U-Momentum U1213, a 736kg son of The Rock Momentum Q8 and ranking top 5 per cent for carcase weight. Reiland retained a 50 per cent semen and marketing rights in the young sire.
Mr Kelly bought a total of 10 bulls for his 1700 spring calving herd and was after well balanced bulls with growth, early maturity, marbling, maternal and carcase traits.
“All of our steers have gone to the feedlot, and we had an excellent pregnancy testing so the Reiland maternal traits are working well for us. The Reiland cattle are affordable, well balanced and their production traits perform for us,” he said.
Edward and Peta Proudford, Proudford Ag, Narrawa, purchased six bulls to a top of $15,000 twice for Reiland U-Phoenix U1319 and Reiland U-Enhance U547.
U-Enhance ranked top 10 per cent for calving ease, top 14 per cent for 600-day weight and top 1 per cent for docility with Reiland retaining a 50 per cent semen and marketing right.
Reiland Angus principal Mark Lucas was pleased with the sale outcome in challenging seasonal conditions, onboarding four new clients, and said marbling was high on the shopping list for commercial buyers.
“It was a testament to the solid foundation of clients we have built over the decades, and they have picked up their bulls at an economic price and allowing them to continue to produce to the high values they are targeting,” Mr Lucas said.
“We need to look past the hardship we are currently enduring as it is likely to get harder for the next two months – we can see a 22-28 per cent increase in the value of beef that could be forthcoming in the next four to six months.
“It was great to see the bloodlines we have been developing within our own herd have excelled today, with the top price bull by a home bred bull. The first sons of AI sire Reiland Speculator S257 averaged around $10,000 and we have joined him to some exciting genetics with about 250 calves due to hit the ground this spring.”
Guest auctioneer Brian Leslie said commercial buyers were after bulls with a balance between low birthweight and high growth rates coupled with above average marbling.
“You wouldn’t be living in the real world if you thought it was going to be off the planet as it is dry – with a top price $25,000 and average of $8342 for 60 bulls is a really good result for the buyer and the seller,” Mr Leslie said.
“The return and new buyers have both got value today and will be back for more. It was a good of line of bulls ever offered here – they were presented really well and had good temperaments.”
Duty agents were Elders Riverina Hills Livestock and Tumut/Adelong.