Bulls
SALE SUMMARY
2019 2018
Offered 27 30
Sold 14 26
Top $7000(3) $10,500
Av $5000 $6192
RAVEN Limousin and Lim-Flex stud's sixth on-property sale on Thursday at Field saved the best until last with the final lot a chance to pick from the 2018-drop heifers.
NSW stud breeder Karinne Gelbermann, Berdihold Limousins, operating through Auctions Plus, paid the sale's $9000 top price for the chance to select from 50 polled heifers in the Raven herd.
Stud principals Jason and Penny Schulz attracted Australia-wide bidding both online (with 31 buyers logging onto AuctionsPlus) and in the stands, with their high performance genetics.
But, like many of the SA bull sales it was tough clearance-wise with 14 of 27 black, red and apricot bulls finding homes.
A $7000 top price was achieved three times.
Raven Nine Yards N410, was the first at lot 2.
The 23-month-old son of Birubi Kaiser K140 was knocked down to Danny Chaplin, Patchawarra, Colebatch, who was impressed by the bull's "thickness and depth and figures".
The Chaplins, who were buying for the second year, were looking to add some hybrid vigour to their Angus cow herd.
Tuckerosa, Kimba, bought the following lot, Raven Nemesis N163 - the first son of United States sire LCLF Ace to be offered in Australia.
Eight of its Breedplan traits were in the top 10pc of the breed, including all growth, carcase and docility figures.
The other $7000 equal high, also the top price Lim-Flex bull, lot 19, sold to long-time Raven supporters Buck Pastoral, Parndana.
Raven has just conducted a progeny analysis trial buying some of Buck's calves and backgrounding them on a leased property and then following them through a long-fed program at Teys Charlton.
They were processed in November last year with the results available soon.
The sale average dropped more than $1100 on last year's record giving buyers exceptional value for money.
Reichstein Pastoral, Coonalpyn, were the volume buyer with three bulls for a $4333 average.
Mr Schulz said said they were happy with the result considering the dry seasonal conditions across such a large area and many of their clients not requiring new bulls this year.
'We are in it for the long game so we have to take the ebbs with the flows," he said.
He said it was evident this year those buyers who could were concentrating on herd rebuilding rather than turning off terminals.
"The issue we have is the Limousin is perceived as a terminal breed but we are breeding maternal traits into our cattle and many of our repeat commercial buyers are keeping their (Limo cross) heifers as replacements," he said.
"We may just need to emphasis that more next year."
Mrs Schulz said the highest-figured bulls were in strong demand, as well as the black homozygous polled cattle.
The Schulzes were very pleased to see studs showing faith in their breeding program with Mount Pleasant Limousins, Forbes, NSW, paying $6000 for lot 21 and another young bull heading to Kupsch Farming, Tara Limousin stud, Geraldton, WA for $5000.
Elders auctioneer Tony Wetherall said the result was no reflection on the quality on offer and praised the Schulz family's enthusiasm for stud breeding.
"The catalogue shows most of the cattle are well above breed average for their performance traits which is testament to their effort to be commercially focussed and get performance in the commercial herds of their clients," he said.
Elders conducted the sale.