A top price of $7000 was achieved twice at Tugulawa Simmental stud’s 9th annual Superior Genetic Sale at Mil-Lel near Mount Gambier on Wednesday last week.
Tugulawa stud principals Garry and Joy Allen said general opinion was that this bull selling season was expected to be a tough one, however they were pretty happy with the result of their sale after having a very good Beef Week field day.
Overall, they sold 15 of 22 bulls offered – a clearance rate of 70 per cent – averaging $4733.
Tugulawa Moomba at lot 1 was described in the catalogue as having tremendous depth, thickness and length, with full eye pigment.
It was the first bull to make $7000, knocked down to repeat buyers AJ Telford & Sons, Mil-Lel, through Mount Gambier agents Miller Whan & John.
The dark red sire weighed 874 kilograms and had an eye muscle scan of 132 square centimetres.
The Telfords also successfully bid on lot 13 Tugulawa National at $5500.
The second $7000 bull was lot 6 Tugulawa Nifty – a well balanced and free moving red bull with 100pc eye pigment, selling to Wilkah Herefords, Balmoral, Vic, through Landmark Casterton.
Weighing 802kg, Nifty recorded a January eye muscle scan of 117sqcm.
A repeat client for the past eight years, Wilkah stud principal Andrew Lyons said they were “very happy with the article we’re getting”.
“Tugulawa bulls are throwing good weight for age progeny with good growth, while keeping the colour of the skin and have a fantastic temperament,” he said.
Mr Lyons said the Tugulawa stud has been a great foundation for their own Simmental and Hereford studs, supplying Simmental-Hereford bulls into the Qld market, although demand has been “pretty tight” in recent times due to dry conditions.
Repeat and volume buyer N&N Kerr, Drik Drik, Vic, took home five bulls averaging $4450, including lot 3 Tugulawa New Direction at $5500.
Four Winds, Port Macdonnell, bought two sires at $4000 and $3500.
Guest vendor Michael Quirk, Windy Pines Simmental stud, Mount Gambier, sold one of his four bulls at $5750 to JW&D Rogers, Kalangadoo.
The top end of the Tugulawa female offering sold well but tapered off.
Seven of the 20 pregnancy-tested in-calf and unmated heifers sold to $8000, averaging $3571.
Classy black heifer Tugulawa Nigella sold to AAA Simmental stud at through Miller Whan & John fat the top of $8500.
Joel Trim, Duri, NSW, bought lots 29 and 31 at $2500 and $4250 respectively, while GD&VA Templeton, Nar Nar Goon, Vic, also bought two heifers at $2500 and $1500.
Bernie Grant, LMB Linke, Vic, was the sale’s auctioneer, with MWJ Mount Gambier the settling agent.