SALE SUMMARY
2018 2017
Offered 168 156
Sold 168 156
Top $32,000 $30,000
Av $8726 $9282
HUGE demand propelled Te Mania Angus to a complete clearance of 168 sires at its autumn bull sale on Wednesday last week, with prices peaking at an impressive $32,000 and five bulls making $25,000 or more.
The top price was $2000 higher than last year, while the Mortlake, Vic-based stud’s average of $8726 was only $556 back on 2017, despite adding 12 bulls to the lineup.
Betty Roche, Adelong, NSW, parted with the top money of $32,000 for Te Mania Malin M170, a Te Mania Jerilderie J10 son.
“It was just an impressive bull, when we arrived I spotted it straight away and said to Gerard (Ryan, Brian Unthank Rural agent), there it is,” Mrs Roche said.
Malin M170 was in the top 1 per cent of all four Angus Breedplan selection indices – Angus Breeding Index, Domestic Index, grainfed index and grassfed index – as well as the top 1pc for 400 and 600-day weight, milk and intramuscular fat.
Late in the sale, Ian MacLeod, Woodstock, NSW, paid $28,000 for Te Mania Morell M1425, sired by Aryvale Bartel E7.
Morell M1425 was in the top 1pc of the breed for all four selection indices as well as 200, 400 and 600-day weight and IMF, and was in the top 5pc for calving ease direct, milk, days to calving and carcase weight.
Mr MacLeod bought a second bull – GAR Twinhearts 8418 son Te Mania Metro M916 – for $10,000.
Not to be outdone, John Cleeland, King Island, Tas, bought Te Mania Montalto M1314, a Te Mania Berkley B1 son, for $26,000.
Having not previously used Berkley B1 bloodlines, Dr Cleeland selected Montalto M1314 for this phenotype as well as its good performance figures and high indices.
Dr Cleeland will use Montalto M1314 heavily via AI over his Mortlake-based herd of 700 breeding females.
Montalto M1314 was in the top 1pc for for all four selection indices, as well as the top 1pc for days to calving, scrotal size and IMF, and top 5pc for calving ease direct and 400-day weight.
Having had great success with Te Mania Foe F734, Avenue Range-based stud Granite Ridge returned to Te Mania’s autumn sale to buy Te Mania Mortlake M1484 for $26,000.
Although he picked out Mortlake M1484 – a Te Mania Garth G67 son – for its pedigree, Granite Ridge principal Colin Flanagan was also pleased with the sire’s phenotype.
“It had good weight for age, good head, feet, structure and testicles and ticked all the boxes, with its performance figure a bonus,” Mr Flanagan said.
Mortlake M1484 was again in the top 1pc for for all four Breedplan selection indices as well as 200, 400, and 600-day weight, milk, days to calving, and eye muscle area.
Tasmanian producer Roderic O'Connor, Cressy, parted with $25,000 for Te Mania MacAlister M6, sired by Te Mania Jolson J1337.
Looking for positive fats, docility and repeatability, Mr O’Connor was drawn to MacAlister M6 – a bull in the top 1pc for all four selection indices, gestation length, days to calving and IMF, and in the top 5pc for 400-day weight, scrotal size and carcase weight.
Mr O’Connor also bought Garth G67 son Te Mania Matchmaker M588 for $13,000.
Among the volume buyers at Te Mania’s Mortlake, Vic, sale was TRT Pastoral Group’s Tim Roberts-Thomson, who bought 17 bulls in total, averaging $6412 and paying to a top of $14,000 for Te Mania Masthead M574.
Three will go to TRT’s Mansfield, Vic, property Howquadale Station, while the other 14 will be used at its King Island aggregation on King Island, Tas.
Poltalloch Pastoral, Tailem Bend, bought six bulls averaging $7500 and Boonoonar Partnership, Kingston SE, secured three bulls averaging $6000.
The auction was conducted by Elders with guest auctioneer Brian Leslie taking bids.