Reliable, consistent and ready-to-work bulls with impressive figures to support them, was only a fraction of what was offered in terms of quality at the 19th annual Biara Santa Gertrudis on-property bull sale at Northampton last week.
The well-bred, 79-head sale team, which incorporated bulls from guest vendor, Wendy Gould's Wendalla stud, Bolgart, together with Biara, offered a broad range of traits and genetics to suit all buyer's orders and breeding objectives.
Although some missed what could have been a good buying opportunity, returning bidders travelling from the local Mid West region and as far as Tom Price, Mt Magnet, Meekatharra and Hyden, showed their support by purchasing their catalogue favourites.
Among the registered bidders attending the sale was interest from Queensland and South Australia, via AuctionsPlus.
Online, the impressive fixture attracted 60 logins from local and interstate prospective buyers and 2648 catalogue views, and of the three active bidders, one successfully purchased a bull.
Of the 79 bulls offered at auction by the Biara and Wendalla studs, 51 sold to an average of $4814.
Individually, the Biara stud sold 45 of its 73 bulls offered on sale day to a top price of $10,000 and average of $4722, while the Wendalla stud sold all six of its stud bulls to a $9500 top and average of $5500.
Although more bulls were advertised and penned to be offered on the day, together, the Hasleby family and the Nutrien Livestock team decided to stop the sale at the 80th pen due to subdued interest.
In comparison to last year, the Biara stud sold 100 of 109 bulls (98 of 105 Santa Gertrudis and 2 from four Sangus) at an average of $6200 and a $19,000 high, while Wendalla sold 100 per cent of its seven-head sale team to a top of $22,000 and a $6430 average.
While the sale average was back on last year, both studs gave their clients a promising selection of quality stud bulls, which saw prices and clearance reflect the current market and dry seasonal conditions the Western Australian beef industry is experiencing, not the quality of the bulls.
Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Tiny Holly said it was a very strange season, which was reflected in the sale last week.
"The bulls were in excellent condition and presented at a high standard, which was an opportunity missed for buyers with equally good figures to support the sale team," Mr Holly said.
"With the registered buyers list limited to less buyers than the 2023 sale, it was always going to be a tad tough.
"The limited buying support, although it is no one's fault, is due to the seasonal conditions in major parts of the pastoral area and the somewhat uncertainty of the cattle market."
Mr Holly said the average price overall was disappointing given the outstanding quality of bulls.
"The $10,000 top price was a shining light and came under bidding competition far better than other lots, which were unfortunately limited on the bidding front," he said.
"To stop the sale at lot 81 is certainly a rarity but one contemplated prior to the sale.
"To see a few extra bulls sold after they were offered in the ring was encouraging for the Hasleby family's Biara stud and the Wendalla stud too."
Mr Holly said a big thank you to the studs for their commitment to the industry and the buyers who supported the sale.
Biara
The Hasleby family again offered an exceptionally even line-up of well-grown, measured and tested Santa Gertrudis sires this year.
These were either double polled, polled, polled with scurs and majority classified.
An impressive catalogue of well-tempered, true-to-type bulls paraded the ring and were snapped up by buyers who had their eye on them prior to the sale's commencement, eager to get their hands on Biara genetics.
The sale's $10,000 top price was recorded by the Biara stud, which was secured by Jeremy Forbes, LG & AE Forbes, Narra Tarra, for Biara 2129 (PP).
The dark-coated 22 month-old bull is a son of Gyranda Proverb P678 (PP) and out of Biara 2045 (P).
The 686kg sire, which tested 93 per cent morphology, has Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) of +3 for milk, +14, +24 and +43 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +32 mature cow weight (MCW), -3.2 days to calving (DTC), +0.7 scrotal size (SS), +2.8 eye muscle area (EMA), +0.6 and +0.3 for rib and rump fats and +0.2 for intramuscular fat (IMF).
Based on these figures, it ranks in the top 10pc for milk, top 25pc for 400 and 600-day weights and top 30pc for 200-day weight.
Mr Forbes is a return buyer and has been purchasing stud bulls from Biara for six years.
"We get a bull every three years as a replacement," Mr Forbes said.
"We chose this bull because he is a good upstanding bull with good conformation and shape, as well as being a dark red colour, which we like too.
"The genetics was another big thing for our selection, along with the low birthweight, as we are joining him with heifers, and quick growth."
The bull will be used over Santa Gertrudis and Angus cows and heifers.
"We run roughly a 70pc Santa Gertrudis and 30pc Angus herd and keep our calves until about 15 to 18-months-old," he said.
Mr Forbes will usually keep about eight heifers each year and sell the steers at Muchea when they reach about 500 kilograms.
Paying the $7000 second top price in the Biara run was Killara Pastoral Co, Meekatharra, for the 714kg lot four bull, Biara 2152 (PP).
The dark-coated, deep and wide sire is a 22mo son of Rosevale Nautical N20 (PP) and out of Biara 8073 (P).
It has impressive EBVs of -1 for milk, +20, +34 and +52 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +50 MCW, -5.3 DTC, +2.2 SS, +2.7 EMA, +0.9 and +0.7 for rib and rump fat and +0.4 for IMF.
With these figures it ranks in the top 5pc for 400 and 600-day weight, top 10pc for 200-day weight, top 15pc for MCW and SS, top 20pc for IMF, top 25pc for DTC and top 30pc for rib fat.
Included in Killara's purchases was a $6000 eye-catching long, poll bull, Biara 2084 (P), which is a Rosevale Nautical N20 (PP) son out of Biara 7117 (P).
The 726kg, sleek dark-coated sire has EBVs of +4 for milk, +14, +25 and +38 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +40 MCW, -0.6 DTC, +1.2 SS, +3.4 EMA, +1.1 and +1.2 for rib and rump fat and +0.2 for IMF, which ranks it in the top 15pc for 600-day weight and top 20pc for EMA, rib and rump fat.
Killara Pastoral Co went on to spend $5000 on another Rosevale Nautical N20 (PP) son, Biara 2011 (PP) and $4000 each on securing Biara 2022 (PP), Biara 2101 (PS) and Biara 2105 (PP).
The Meekatharra account purchased a total of six Biara bulls in the sale to average $5000.
It was the Parsons family, Coolawanyah Pastoral Co, Tom Price, that was the volume buyer in the Biara offering, loading up 16 bulls after the sale to average $4656.
The Tom Price-based station has been purchasing from the stud since its first bull sale and has been breeding Santa Gertrudis cattle for more than 50 years.
Included in the Tom Price account's buying order was the $6500 third top price sire, Biara 2181 (P).
The 604kg sire, with 77pc morphology, is a Rosevale Q216 (PP) son out of Biara 0082 (P) with EBVs of +1 for milk, +7, +9 and +6 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, +2 MCW, -9.5 DTC, +0 SS, +1.4 EMA, +3 and +3.6 for rib and rump fat and +0.3 for IMF.
It ranks in the top 1pc for rib and rump fats, top 10pc for DTC, top 20pc for milk and top 25pc for IMF.
Three generations of the Parsons family attended the sale, and it was the youngest, Kris Parsons, assisted by his father Kim and grandfather Les Parsons that said they select visually first, and then consider the figures.
"We were selecting bulls with good, chunky, solid frames and a good sheath that's not too long," Kris Parsons said.
"Good temperament, constitution and shape, as well as bulls with a nice pink nose is also important.
"The bulls we purchased had good masculine heads, with high morphology, which is also something we were looking for."
Coolawanyah plans to use the bulls over a herd of 200 Santa Gertrudis joiner heifers.
"The Haslebys have done a great job and we are very pleased with our purchases over the years, as well as the genetics, which is what keeps us coming back," Mr Parsons said.
Also purchasing a large team of bulls was Jim Quadrio, Granite Peaks station, Wiluna.
Granite Peaks is set to have 11 new bulls coming its way, which averaged $4273 in the sale at a high of $5000, on three occasions.
The three $5000 bulls, Biara 2056 (PS) and Biara 2086 (PS) are both sons of Rosevale Nautical N20 (PP), weighing 750kg and 772kg, while Biara 2036 (P) is sired by Rosevale M482 (P) and weighed 688kg.
Mr Quadrio said he was basically selecting based on bulls with good temperament and weight gain to go with it.
Wendalla
Wendalla stud presented a quality line-up of well-bred Santa Gertrudis sires again in the sale this year.
The even line-up of quiet stud sires were carefully selected by the sale's registered attendees, which resulted in the stud recording the sale's second top price of $9500.
The $9500 sum was paid by Matt and Mel Leeds, 3 Sons stud, M & M Leeds Family Trust, Moora, for the last Wendalla bull to go through the sale ring, Wendalla Washington W31 (P).
The appealing, sleek-coated 646kg, July 2022-drop sire with 88pc morphology, is a son of Walmona Boss (P) and out of Wendalla S51.
The Moora-based producers also purchased a second 21-month-old Wendalla bull weighing 682kg with 89pc morphology, Wendalla Western W22 (P), for $5000.
The structurally sound, well put together June 2022-drop sire by Wendalla Showman S29 (P) and out of Wendalla S36 (P) has a morphology of 89pc and 38cm scrotal.
Ms Leeds is a return buyer to the Wendalla stud, having bought the stud's $21,000 sale topping sire Wendalla Uptown U01 (P), two years ago.
"The bulls have really good morphology and their sire lines are ones we like to use," Ms Leeds said.
"In the past we have liked the frame and function of the Wendalla bulls.
"They have plenty of bone and good feet too which we are really pleased with and were selecting for today."
Ms Leeds said the bull the family purchased a few years ago had grown out into a magnificent bull.
"Considering we know what they grow out to makes it easy to keep coming back, we very much like to maintain the frame and the bone of our cattle, because frame equals weight, which we believe is more efficient," she said.
"Wendy produces bulls with magnificent temperaments, which is another important aspect.
"The fertility and mothering ability of the female side of her herd and ours is also really good."
The bulls will be used over the Leeds family's 3 Sons stud herd of 120 Santa Gertrudis breeders.
"We breed for the pastoral regions, so the docility and the doability is what we aim for," she said.
Also picking up two bulls in the Wendalla run was the Killara Pastoral Co, which purchased two bulls at $4500.
Lots 45 and 46 were an impressive pair of June 2022-drop bulls, with Wendalla Weightlifter W15 (P) sired by Yarrawonga L736 (P) and out of Wendalla Q25 (P), while Wendalla Watermark W19 (P) is a son of Walmona Zenos (P) and out of Wendalla QII (P).
Weightlifter W15 weighed 690kg with a morphology of 83pc and a SC of 39cm, while Watermark W19 weighed 664kg.
Kookabrook, Coolup, paid the stud's $5000 equal second top price for an impressive upstanding sire that weighed 706kg.
Wendalla Wes W206 (P) was a substitute lot with the May 2022-drop, sleek-coated bull recording morphology of 81pc and 39cm scrotal.
Russell & VE Mouritz, Hyden, also showed interest in the Wendalla bulls, securing lot 47 the 650kg, Wendalla Weighco W23 (P), a June 2022-drop bull by Walmona Boss (P) and out of Wendalla T39 (P).
