A high quality draft of 32 hardy, ready to work Charolais and Charbray bulls have been selected by John and Roz Mercer for their 10th annual Kandanga Valley Bull Sale on Friday, December 6.
The 12 Charolais and 20 Charbray bulls catalogued will be offered at the Braeside Saleyards, Nebo from 10am, with sale agents Hayes and Co and Landmark to conduct the auction.
John Mercer said over the last fifteen years they've produced many heifers and therefore they've been able to focus heavily on fertility.
"Fertility is the number one economic trait in any beef herd. Our properties are fully stocked and there is literally no room for non-productive females," he said.
He said in both herds the exceptional muscling and natural softness have always been traits that have been well and truly locked into Kandanga Valley genetics.
"These traits were highlighted when we won Champion Carcass in the 2019 Charbray Feedlot trial with our steer scoring 73.5 points out of 80 points with very good MSA scoring and a perfect, even fat distribution."
He said the Charolais sale bulls are very sleek coated and heavy muscled but free moving.
"Our Charolais herd has always been bred with the intention that most bulls will be used over Bos Indicus cows, with our Charolais bulls having a great reputation for constitution in some of the harsher grazing country in Queensland.
Six polled bulls including one polled/red factor are in the Charolais sale team, and the homebred, polled, red-factor sire Kandanga Valley Jericho, will be represented by three polled sons.
"Jericho's a trait leader for 200, 400 and 600 day weights within Charolais Australasian EBV's. He has done a tremendous job for our polled breeding program. His sons have strong sirey heads and plenty of length and muscling, while his daughters have great udders and ample milk."
Mr Mercer said another highlight in the Charolais draft is Lot 1, Kandanga Valley Nash, a beautifully deep bodied bull with loads of muscle, natural softness and a very good temperament.
"He's from a very productive dam who has produced five calves by seven years of age. Nash is 26 months old, and would be ideal to breed some growth and thickness into Bos Indicus herds."
He said the Charbray sale bulls are a quiet natured group displaying excellent muscling and extra bone.
"They range from high Brahman through to high Charolais content bulls, are mostly generation-bred and will suit all buyer's needs."
Another homebred sire, Kandanga Valley Jesuit, will be represented by five sons in the sale team.
"Jesuit was an Ekka Grand Champion. He's a mountain of red meat weighing over 1200kgs, and he's still very agile and active. He breeds small calves that grow like mushrooms. For producers looking for extra bone and fleshing, these Jesuit sons will breed great bullocks."
A standout in the Charbray draft is Lot 14, Kandanga Valley Nathanael.
"Nathanael is ideal for red cattle breeders looking to put some muscling and weight for age into their weaners or bullocks. He's a real deep bodied, easy doing meat machine out of the great old dam, Fontana, whose son topped our 2016 sale.
The sale bulls have been run in the hills at Kandanga, south west of Gympie, on coastal pastures and have had a 90-day sale preparation on Norco Brahman bull starter ration with access to bluegrass hay, a good cool ration, meaning the bulls are fit and ready to go to work.
All sale bulls come with muscle and fat scans, and weights and semen results. They've been mustered with horses, dogs and bikes, and have been treated with 7-in-1, 3-day sickness, 3-germ blood, Singvac botulism and Pestivirus.
The sale bulls can be inspected at the Braeside Saleyards from December 3.
- Visit the Kandanga Valley Charolais and Charbray Stud website to view the sale catalogue and to learn more about the Mercer's breeding objectives