ANGUS bulls sold to $5000 during the Ravenswood sale at the Basin Complex near Willalooka on Friday, with the top sire bought by Brian and Josie Lord, Stony Well, Meningie.
It was one of two bulls the Lords took home, buying another at $4000.
The Lords were looking for bulls with good eye muscle area and growth rates, but low birthweights as they will be run with heifers.
The Lords are return clients of Ravenswood stud, also buying two bulls at their last sale in May.
Mr Lord said the season hadn’t been kind at Meningie, which was also why they bought from Ravenswood, as the bulls were more acclimatised.
The top bull Ravenswood Nordic Prince N24 was by K Bar D Joe Canada 18Y and out of Stoney Point Yankee Queen J61.
The rising two-year-old had a +3.6 BW, +7.2 EMA and +122 600-day weight.
Ravenswood stud was established in 2015 by Richard and Anna Crowley, Balhannah.
In late 2017, the Crowleys entered a joint venture with Angus breeder John Gommers and his wife Rebeka at Murray Bridge.
It is the first time the stud has conducted a sale in Angus Week, offering rising two-year-olds and spring 2017-drops.
They had first sons of JMB Traction on offer, along with sons of Generation 2100, Sitz Upward 307R and Millah Murrah Kingdom K35.
Mr Gommers said the season had been challenging, but the bulls were in “great working order” with no supplementary feeding.
“The cattle have never worked harder, but have gotten through well, showing constitution and doing ability I have always strived to breed into my cattle,” he said.
“They (the bulls) are not as forward as they normally would be, but they are presented in a way that means they’ll step off the truck at their new homes and never look back.”
Overall, Ravenswood sold 14 Angus bulls from 31 offered, averaging $4071.
The biggest volume buyer was MJ Farming Trust, through Elders Murray Bridge, with four bulls at $4000, including two JMB Traction sons; while KR&RA Sherriff & Sons, Keith, bought two at $4000, both by Stevenson Rockmount RX933.
Tony Bateman, Avenel Pastoral, Millicent, also bought two at $4000, including one which had the highest 600-day weight in the catalogue at +143 and the highest EMA of +10.7.
The rising two-year-old, by Generation 2100, also had the equal highest carcase weight in the catalogue at +83.
Single sales at $4000 went to Van Den Brink Partners, through Elders Meningie, for a bull with an EMA of +8.6; Ken Sawers, Coonalpyn; Paragon Pastoral, NSW, for a Werner War Party 2417 son; and Mulberry Gardens Investments, Port Augusta, for a Sitz Upward 307R son measuring +142 for 600-day weight.
Mr Gommers predicted the sale season would be tough, particularly as their volume buyers were from the northern pastoral country, which was doing it tough.
“We were glad to see a few new faces at the sale though,” he said.
The remaining bulls are available for private sale.
Elders Murray Bridge conducted the sale, with Laryn Gogel as auctioneer.