Charolais Female Demand

On the back of record Charolais bull prices there has been significant demand for Charolais registered females in 2023. Major auction sales this year have included the annual Charnelle sale and the Clarinda Dispersal sale.

Both these sales saw excellent competition for the stock on offer. Members have also held online sales such as Auctionsplus and this has assisted in a strong increase in registered female transfers. Female transfers processed by the office to the end of April showed close to fifty percent increase in activity. May sales will add substantially to this data and the expectation is that midyear analysis will show the volume of transfer processed to be substantially higher than the prior year.

Top auction price for Autumn 2023 has been Langi Ghiran Eloise 6 (P) sold for $16,000 at the Clarinda dispersal sale. This donor female sold to Glenlea Charolais at Coffs Harbour, NSW to top this sale. Recognised as the dam of well known Australian AI sire, Clarinda Downtown Q32 (P), this female has an excellent EBV set. Immediately following her was her 10 month old ET sons with Clarinda Duty Free T33 (P) topping the bull section of this sale at $8,500 selling into the NSW DPI Multibreed project. Glenlea also selected a daughter of Ismael (P) for $8,500 and was a volume buyer at this sale. Several local breeders took the opportunity to add to their herd at this sale.

Golden Rose Charolais added to their herd outlaying $12,500 for Clarinda Geddes Maid (AI)(P) with a Turnbulls Duty Free heifer calf at foot. Clarinda Lonato Barcardi 2nd (P)(R/F) made $11,500 during the sale. Across the sale at auction the females average was $4,250 which included cow calf units to freshly weaned heifers.

The 13th Charnelle Invitational Female and Genetics Sale in Toowoomba drew a strong crowd and saw sales across the country. This sale topped at $14,000 for Calmview Festoon P76E offered by Taylor Livestock, Coolangatta NSW. This red factor female with a heifer calf at foot sold to Daniel and Nicki Ferme, Gotta-Do-Well stud in South Australia.

The four-year-old daughter of Ascot Jack Flash J105E and out of Calmview Festoon M9E was rated in the top 10 per cent of the breed for Milk, 200-day, 400-day, 600-day and Carcase Weight. Five cow calf units averaged $10,400. Judy Turner offered four cow calf outfits topping at $12,000 for Jay Tees Qaristicracy 3 (AI)(ET)(P) purchased by the Berwick stud and averaged $7,750 for these females.

Topping the joined heifer section was Lot 26, Bauhinia Park Flame 15 selling for $9,500 to Tony Belfield, Ocean View Qld. This heifer was offered by breeders, Ryan and Rachel Holzwart. Joined heifers averaged $5,258 just ahead of unjoined heifers averaging $4,280.

Unjoined heifers topped at $8,000 for Challambi Estella S42 (P) offered by Nigel Spink and selling to Charnelle Charolais and Darryl Hughes, Gatton Qld.

This sale traditionally has a strong genetics offering with a flush in Charnelle Emma (P) selling for $7,500 to Gavin Russell, Callanish Charolais, Donnybrook WA. Embryos topped at $2000/ per embryo for two embryos from Charnelle Emma E50E x Johnny (P) offered account Charnelle Charolais. The buyer of these embryos was Melanie Fink, Echuca Vic.

Over four hundred straws of semen sold to average $88 per straw, topping at $800/ straw for 8 straws of Tattenhall Impeccable semen offered by Judy Turner Qld. and bought by Juandah Charolais. Semen packages of HRJ Fan Favourite 804F (P)(R/F) offered by Venturon Livestock averaged $137 a straw.

In mid March Palgrove Charolais hosted online via Auctionsplus a female sale. Four unjoined red factor heifers at 16 months sold for $6,050 ahead. A similar pen of 6 white heifers made $3,650 per head selling to Hopgood Charolais. Calmview Charolais also took advantage of the genetics on offer taking a pen of 6 heifers at $3,650. All the Charolais females in this online auction meet spirited bidding and a total clearance was achieved.

Winchester Charolais also had an online production sale with the Charolais section topping at $14,000 for Winchester Miss Cooley S14E, (15 months) by Venturon Maximum Impact M60E. Bred from the Miss Cooley cow line and tracing back to Impair in her pedigree, Miss Cooley S14E was a full sibling to Sydney Royal Show 2022 reserve senior, Miss Cooley Q6E, and sold to Sophie Inder, Rockwell Charolais, Merriwa. This heifer was shown at Sydney Royal where she was awarded Reserve Junior Champion Heifer. A full flush of Winchester Miss Cooley Q6E also sold for $4,500 to seedstock producer, Venturon Livestock, Boyup Brook, WA.

At the annual Rosedale Bull sale in May, the Millner family offered five weaner heifers. Four of the five heifers, all of which were yearlings, offered were sold to the Inder family, Rockwell Charolais, Merriwa. They topped at $8,000, twice, for Rosedale Beatrix T10 (P) and Rosedale Amy T13 (P), both red factor heifers sired by Rosedale Maverick (P).

Apart from auction results, transfers indicate volume female sales being made privately as members take the opportunity to invest in new genetics. These sales have been recorded across the country showing a confidence in the Charolais breed. This herd rebuild has also been reflected in Embryo transfer calves being registered with a 100% increase over the same period in 2022. Other indicators of breed growth including female inventory and AI sire applications are positively represented compared to 2022. This augurs well for the future development of the breed.

Further to female numbers building up, the early feedback from the second edition of “Tip The Tank” semen catalogue has also been strong. Vendors reported telephone enquiry and sales within a hour of the catalogue being released. This sale offers members with small packages of semen surplus to their requirements an opportunity to market across the membership. The Society will run Edition 3 of this sale listing prior to spring joining later in the year.