Kandanga Valley Stud lists 102 bulls for premium sale

This is branded content for Kandanga Valley Stud.

THE Mercer family will present a tempting catalogue of 102 young, high quality bulls for their 19th annual on-property bull sale July 30.

Sale action commences at 11am at Kandanga Valley Stud, Kandanga via Gympie.

The catalogue will comprise 52 Charolais and 50 Charbray bulls, including 22 polled Charolais and 21 polled Charbray.

Despite an "extremely" wet spell hindering preparations of their sale team, the Mercers - John and Roz - are more than happy with the standard of the bulls catalogued for sale.

The Estimated Breeding Values of Charolais bulls in particular reflect the growth and muscling performance of "these beefy boys", according to Mr Mercer, who added eight of the offering are in the top one per cent of the entire Australasian herd for growth and/or scrotal and/or carcase traits.

Additionally, numerous others in the sale team are listed in the top 5-10pc for identical traits in what shapes as an "outstanding" achievement for the stud.

"Repeat clients all over Queensland know Kandanga Valley bulls put big weight into their weaners and are reaping the rewards every week at sales," Mr Mercer said.

"Kandanga Valley sired weaners are consistently topping $2000 plus per head as we've witnessed recently at the Toogoolawah weaner sale as well as many others around Queensland such as Nebo, Silverdale, Roma, Gympie, Biggenden and Sarina.

"Many have also taken out prizes in shows and carcase competitions."

Kandanga's Charolais line includes three new sires which have injected exceptional early growth and weight into progeny, namely Allednaw Prince (P), Palgrove New Vision (P) and Kandanga Valley Novak (PP).

"Their sons catalogued are moderate-framed and very heavy and all display great masculine heads, loads of soft red meat and ample bone," Mr Mercer explained.

"Prince and New Vision are trait leaders for 200, 400 and 600 day weights and scrotal size and the home-bred homozygous sire Novak is a trait leader for 200 day weight."

The Charbrays to be presented are certain to delight with the available bulls suitable for all requirements and environments given their noted survivability, consistency and muscling allowing them to perform for the breeder, feeder and processor.

"We call them 'all-rounders', achieving economic gain for everybody involved," Mr Mercer said.

"A polled home-bred Charolais sire, Kandanga Valley Note-A-Bull (P), was used to breed some polled Charbrays and has really put some grunt into his progeny.

"They are sure to turn a few heads.

"There's also plenty of generation-bred bulls presented by good old performers like KV Jesuit, himself an Ekka Grand Champion. He breeds proper, big, long bodied bullock breeders.

"Also KV Lauchie - he's a very heavy muscled type and really puts some carcase power into his sons. And our home bred polled sire KV Lustre has bred some outstanding polled bulls that still display that strong masculine head, loads of soft red meat and ample bone - traits that are hard to maintain in polled cattle."

Far North Queensland producer Jodie Ferdinand, The Creek outside Proserpine, can vouch for the Kandanga influence after investing in its genetics for the past half dozen years or so.

She seeks purebred Charolias bulls to join with purebred Brahman females for enhanced hybrid vigour.

"I grew up in south-west Queensland and knew of the Kandanga bulls but coming up here the area was predominantly Brahman and I kept breeding Brahmans," Ms Ferdinand said.

"But I wanted that cross breed to bring in more bone and size and that's why I moved to the purebred Charolais bulls.

"I originally started buying Kandanga bulls because they are located on the coast. They are exposed to the tick and fly that we have up in northern Queensland and I just enjoy the bulls.

"They have a good temperament and their structure is very good and grow out to be big, beautiful bulls.

"We have pretty soft country on big open flats and the bulls do very well.

"I don't buy a bull unless I can see its EBVs because there is too much risk considering they are a bigger breed but with Kandanga I can do this.

"When I get a catalogue I pick out what I like based on their EBVs then at the sale I check their temperament.

"With the EBVs the first thing I look for is birth weight and try to get the lowest possible birth weight and then I look at the 200 and 400 days growth because my market is weaners so I want that small calf with good growth.

"Kandanga bulls give me what I need and I turn weaners off at seven or eight months and come in at 240-260kg mark and I can't do that with Brahman."

All sales bulls are vaccinated with 7-in-1, 3-day, 3-germ blood and Vibrio plus are semen tested two weeks prior to sale.

Muscle and fat scans, weights and scrotal measurements plus semen results will be available one week prior to sale.

Free transport is offered in the local Gympie area to Eidsvold, north to Sarina via Bruce Highway and Clermont via Emerald, west to Dalby and Roma and south to Toogoolawah.

Agents are Shepherdson & Boyd, Toogoolawah and Nutrien Stud Stock Rockhampton and Toowoomba.