WA destination for top Bayview bull

The top end of the catalogue offered by Andy and Sally Withers and Anton and Ali Volker, along with guest vendors Nentoura stud, Frances; Bayview stud, Yorketown, and Carlton stud Hahndorf and Padthaway, sold well - hitting a high of $10,500.

However in a sign of the uncertain seasonal conditions the 29 registered bidders secured most of the high performance, easy-doing bulls from four leading SA studs for well under the odds.

In the final SA bull sale for the season 30 of 48 bulls averaged $4633.

Fourteen of these sold at the $3000 base price.

Upper and Mid South East producers are still nervously waiting for the autumn break and a lack of follow-up rains in many northern pastoral areas since January prevented at least one regular client operating which could have pushed up the clearance rate.

The $10,500 sale topper - Bayview Regal J42 - caught the eye of WA stud breeder Phillip Burnett, Crathes Park stud, Vasse midway through the catalogue.

The 23-month-old sold by Chris and Anissa, and Kevin and Pam Thompson had great presence with a wonderful set of EBVs including low birth and high growth, and top 15 per cent ranking for domestic and northern indexes.

He had the raw data figures to match - weighing 912 kilograms with an eye muscle area of 120 square centimetres and fat cover of 14 millimetres rump and 10mm rib fat.

Regal was sired by Marrington Boxer B83 and out of Bayview Flossie B64.

"He will definitely help our herd with his good milk and nearly positive fat," Mr Burnett said.

Sale hosts the Withers family, who have been breeding Shorthorn cattle for nearly 50 years, received the $8000 second top price for Belmore Silicon J88.

Elders Naracoorte livestock manager Tom Dennis bought the 22-month-old rich red son of Belmore Jackaroo Z109 and out of a Belmore Freight Liner daughter for Terra Shorthorn stud, Dubbo, NSW who were bidding over the phone.

Terry Williams who was busy seeding was impressed by photos he had seen on-line and the combination of Breedplan figures including low birth weight at +1.8.

"He has a huge EMA and positive fat cover as well and his raw data figures back that up."

"The bull we bought two years ago (from Belmore) has performed so well we had the confidence to buy another one without seeing him," he said.

Fellow NSW stud breeders Steve and Amanda Barlow, Toogimbie stud, Deniliquin, bought two roan bulls from Belmore early in the sale at $7000 each.

At the 2014 The Land Beef Spectacular - Australia's largest feedback trial - Toogimbie was the top performing Shorthorn entry which gave them traits to select for.

"We knew what we needed to improve - more growth, higher retail beef yield along with good carcase weights - and these are two bulls that have got that," Mrs Barlow said.

GM Butler & Sons, Naracoorte led the local buying interest with four bulls for a $5250 average.

This included the $6000 top priced bull from Ron and Jenny, Paul and Alison Pridham's Nentoura stud, Frances, who was admired by many in pre-sale inspection. Nentoura Startrack J26 was a half brother to their $9000 sale topper from 2014 sale.

John and Lyn Nitschke and family, Carlton stud, Hahndorf, had a total clearance of their five bulls to $6000 twice and $4400 average.

Phil Reid, Strathalbyn, bought one of these $6000 bulls - the heaviest bull in the draft among his three picks.

Elders stud stock marketing manager Tom Penna described it as a "tremendous catalogue" of modern Shorthorn bulls with an emphasis on moderation of frame, and plenty of thickness and softness.

"The competition was good on the top end but it was disappointing on the bottom end for the vendors."

"It was just a lack of buyers not a lack of quality," he said.

Landmark stud stock manager Gordon Wood also had high praise for the offering.

"The purchasers had a field day capitalising on buying bulls at very reasonable rates of the calibre that would match any breed of bulls offered this year."

"Things have been a bit tight since the rain in January and even with beef prices very good and climbing people are still feeding so much hay out and maintaining their breeding stock. They would be weighing up the cost of another load of hay versus a new bull," Mr Wood said.

* Report in Stock Journal May 7 edition