Valera Vale Droughtmaster sale average doubles

At the end of the on-property bull sale south east of Augathella, Valera Vale had almost doubled last year's average price paid for bulls, and recorded a $7000 jump in the top price paid.

Fellow seedstock producers, Roger and Jenny Underwood, Eversleigh and Wallace Vale Droughtmasters, Wallumbilla outlaid $30,000 for a bull identified as 20332M, carrying double poll genes and 66 per cent Brahman content.

It helped the Augathella stud to a gross of $1.403 million, a big increase on the 2020 gross received of $609,500, a new sale average record of $12,991, and a 100pc clearance rate of the 108 bulls offered.

Valera Vale's 2020 sale average was $6625.

Prior to the sale, Mr Flynn told the packed stands that the catalogue contained the best mob of bulls they'd ever put together, and the results backed that up.

"Their sheaths were right, and more than half the yarding was double polled," he said. "There was no tail in the sale either. You always worry that orders will fill."

The first 10 lots offered sold for $106,000 and the last 10 lots were knocked down for $102,000, despite offering 16 more bulls this year than last.

Roger Underwood said his purchase had caught his eye early, for his softness and growth, plus his head.

"He's one of those bulls that are easy on the eye," he said. "Plus it's hard to buy morphology tested bulls, so when you get it, you go for it - it means a fair bit."

The bull's average daily weight gain on silage was 1.26kg and his P8 and rib fat measurements were 13 and 10mm, while his eye muscle area at 24 months was 127 square centimetres.

His scrotal circumference was 38cm and his semen morphology was 83pc.

Mr Flynn said the bull was like his sire, By-Mingo Quebec, whose pedigree includes Billabong, Garthowen and Angle Zed bloodlines.

"He's a standout, by a very good sire that we're really wrapped in," he said. "He throws true to type - Roger will find that out, and he's just good and quiet."

The Underwoods were chased up by GS and CJ White, Marionvale, Surat, who didn't go home empty-handed, buying two bulls for $22,000 and $15,000.

A phrase often said at bull sales, 'put him in the big yard and turn on the water' could have referred to the bulls knocked down to McKinlay cattleman Mark Fegan, except he had his road train parked up ready to load his purchases on to return home the same day.

Mr Fegan, who had unloaded three decks of Droughtmaster weaners off at Blackall for sale the previous day, ended up with 30 bulls for the return journey home.

Although he said his season at McKinlay was 'no good', he said he hadn't bought bulls for a long time and more were badly needed.

He paid from $8000 to the second top price of $24,000 for the 30 sire prospects, which will be joined with his Droughtmaster cow herd.

"We like them because they're a bit more hardy, they have a bit more Brahman in them," he said, adding that he'd originally bought Valera Vale bulls at the sale in Roma about a dozen years ago, and had made some private purchases since.

The second top price of $24,000 was paid three times, by Murray and Kylie Hudson, Tongy, Mitchell and by Biddenham Pastoral Co at Augathella, as well as by Penola.

Biddenham are regular Valera Vale clients and Guy Newell said they were always on the lookout for the double poll gene.

"The top bull we bought also had an excellent EMA, 130sq cm, daily weight gain of 1.3kg, and a scrotal circumference of 41cm," he said. "Plus he's quiet and has a good coat."

While their cow herd was originally a Droughtmaster base, it's now more of a composite makeup, but Mr Newell said they like to use Droughtmaster bulls over their heifers.

The Hudsons were another of the sale's volume buyers, finishing with eight bulls.

They were matched by the Godwin Cattle Co, Tanderra Station, Springsure, with 12 bulls, and SP Castles and LD Paynter, Gundoo, Charleville, buying 10 bulls.

Of the four successful online buyers, it was the Mandora Cattle Co, Broome, WA that bought the most bulls, buying five from the beginning of the catalogue to the end.

The buyers packing the stands came from Cooladdi, Charleville, Yuleba, Alpha, Rolleston, Blackall, Morven, Jericho, Quilpie, Mitchell, and Cunnamulla.

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