Booming bull sales obliterate the records Diana Wood, Marketing & Communications Manager
Angus bull sales across the board have been nothing short of marvelous, with 100% clearances achieved across almost all sales and averages north of $10,000 becoming an everyday occurrence, as this phenomenal spring bull selling season continues to rewrite the history books day after day.
Texas angus breaks two australian Angus records in one day At the end of July, Texas Angus were the first to claim 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 everywhere, 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. 10
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In August Angus bulls held the majority of the market accounting for 74.4% of bull sales, with 3,017 bulls sold for a $14,409 average. While the first week of September saw 621 Angus bulls sold across 11 sales for a $19,801 average. Five bulls sold for six figures during this week, three at the Millah Murrah Angus sale, Bathurst, and two at the Milwillah Angus sale, Young. As at the 8th of September Angus bull sales across Australia for the year have seen 7,957 bulls sold from 145 sales for an average of $12,950. In New South Wales and Queensland where many of the spring bull sales at this point in time have taken place, the average sits at $15,246 for 4,516 Angus bulls sold in NSW and $14,272 for 348 Angus bulls sold in Qld.
The Angus breed is really powering on, a lot of people are restocking with Angus and Angus cross cattle 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. 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 added that, ‘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’
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