Brahman Week trip ends with $19,333 average for Koon Kool

The Christensens purchased three bulls at Brahman Week averaging $19,333, and Mr Christensen said while it was a lot more than they would usually spend, he knew this year was going to be an expensive one. 

“We had to to get the bulls - you have to match the market at the moment or you wouldn’t have got anything,” he said. 

“We weren’t surprised - we just thought we’d have to bring a bigger cheque book this year to get them with the way the cattle markets are.”

Breeding mainly commercial cattle for the live export market, Mr Christensen said Koon Kool was home to a predominantly Brahman herd, with some Shorthorn/Charolais as well. 

“For our country up there hardiness is the main thing, that’s why we have Brahmans,” he said. 

“And that’s what goes well on the boats for live export - we’ve always had Brahmans.”

With about 1000 Brahman breeders on the block, Mr Christensen said Brahman Week was an annual trip for the family. 

“We only bought two bulls last year, we were only going to buy two this time as well, but that didn’t happen,” he laughed.

“They were probably better bulls this year, the selection was a lot better,” Mrs Christensen added.

Coming out of the drought years, Mr Christensen said at the moment the focus was not only on better genetics, with an emphasis on tidy sheaths, length and bone, but on getting the herd back to full capacity. 

“We don't fatten and sell too much now, the drought sorted that out, and we haven’t got a chance to get back up there yet, we’ve just been selling live export at the moment,” he said. 

Selling out of Townsville straight to the Indonesian markets, Mr Christensen said live export has always been part of their business, but with drought leaving them with no bullocks, it became the focus of the business for the past three years.

But now with the market up and with the hope of more rain falling in the right places, Mr Christensen said he was looking forward to getting back into fattening bullocks. 

“We maintained all our breeders throughout the drought - it cost a lot of money, but we kept them all,” he said.