CQ Premier Charolais Bull Sale success

The top price bull sold for $42,500 at the CQ Premier Charolais Bull Sale at CQLX Gracemere on Thursday, September 7.

A total of 51 out of 67 bulls offered by six vendors were cleared, grossing $520,000 and averaging $10,196 per head, giving a 76 per cent clearance rate.

GDL Rockhampton confirmed another three bulls sold post sale, bringing the clearance rate to 80pc and the average to $9962 after the hammer had fallen.

GDL agent Josh Heck said it was a "very good sale" with an "impressive draft of bulls", describing the bidding as "targeted".

"People were happy to go $10,000 and $20,000 all day for bulls that ticked all the boxes and then look past the ones that just don't meet the criteria," he said.

"There was really only very minor differences between the ones that got up there and the ones that didn't."

David and Helen Reid from Reids Charolais sold 17 of a draft of 19 bulls offered at the sale, giving a clearance rate of 89 per cent, and an average of $15,176 per head.

Mr Reid said he was happy with the solid sale results, with the top end of his draft "making really good money". He said the top priced bull was his pick of the draft.

The Reid family sold the top price bull to repeat buyers Stephen and Alison Kajewski from Bettafield stud in Gindie who purchased their top price bull for $38,000 at the 2022 sale.

The Kajewskis were also vendors at the sale, clearing eight bulls for an average of $8,125 per head.

Mr Kajewski said the bull, lot 19, Reids Seamus S50E, would be a great addition to their stud operation where they put bulls over breeders cows, with a mix of about 150 Charolais cows and 200 Charbray cows. They bred around 150 bulls per year across both breeds.

The 23-month-old red factor homozygous polled bull was the son of polled Reids Pompeii P903 and out of polled Reids Panache H84.

He tipped the sales at 1084kg, scanning 157 square centimetres for eye muscle area, 10mm and 8mm, respectively, for P8 and rib fat, and 4.7pc for intramuscular fat. His scrotal circumference was 44cm.

"He caught my eye for his overall length and bone and the power that he'll have," Mr Kajewski said.

"He's a PP bull and has a good head carriage - he holds his head up and he's a good walker, he's going to stride out and give us a lot of mobile sons and that's what we're after,"

Mr Kajewski thought buyers at the sale were after polled red factor bulls.

"Everyone wants them so we've just got to keep at it. We've got a couple of red polled bulls at home that are just getting a bit old so we've just got to replace them."

He thought people wanted them to put over Droughtmasters, Santa Gertrudis, or Red Brahmans to keep that consistency in the colour.

Mr Kajewski was grateful for the opportunity to join the CQ Premier Charolais sale for the first time as a vendor. He said he was mainly selling bulls from the paddock this year, but decided to join a few sales to keep their stud name in front of people.

Reaching into the pocket for the second top price for the day was Nobbs Grazing, Moura, who bought lot 21, Reids Sinclair S137E for $27,500 from the Reid family.

Mr Reid said they were also focused on breeding polled red factor bulls to be "as commercially focused as we can".

He said the interested for red Charolais had really blown up in the last few years to put over tropical cows to keep that colour consistency and increase weight in the progeny.

Bulk buyer on the day was first time buyer Camm Agricultural Group from Wonga Plains who purchased a total of 13 bulls for a total of $120,000, giving an average of $9230.

Mr Reid said was very thankful for the "wonderful support" from first time buyer Camm Ag who put together a "strong run of bulls", as well as all new and loyal repeat buyers.

Buyers came from Gindie, Winton, Dysart, Gin Gin, Blackall, Alpha, Richmond, Glen Innes, Marmour, Mackay, Injune, Middlemount, and Moura,

At the inaugural sale last year all 46 bulls sold for an average of $17,087 and $38,000 top price.