Mandayen Limousins meet strong demand

Bought by the Flemington stud, Adelong, NSW, the June 2018-drop bull weighed 802 kilograms and was in the top 10 per cent of the breed for 200, 400 and 600-day weight, milk, scrotal circumference, carcase weight, eye muscle area, intramuscular fat, docility and all indexes.

Strong competition from four states meant 32 of the 33 bulls offered sold to Qld, NSW, Vic and SA buyers, averaging $5969.

Rockallen Pastoral, Willalooka, was the volume Limousin bull buyer, with five bulls to a top of $5000 three times, averaging $4800. Broad Cattle Company bought five bulls at $4000 each.

Anthony Allen, Rockallen Pastoral, has been a Mandayen client for 21 years, and was selecting for moderate bulls with low birthweights. He bought Black Limousin bulls to use over Angus cows to suit many markets from vealer to grow out markets. He also bought two Angus bulls at $8000 each.

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For the first time in three years, Mandayen also offered a selection of females sourced from the stud herd.

These included 18 cows and calves at-foot, with 17 selling to $13,000, averaging $5911 and 10 heifers offered and sold to $3750, averaging $3050.

The top price cow was Mandayen Abigail K63 - a daughter of Hunt Mr Jock 44J that sold with a November-drop black heifer calf at-foot by Mandayen Liquid Gold - which was bought by The Bull Run, Naracoorte.

Abigail K63 was bred in the purple, being a full sibling to the outstanding sires Mandayen King, Mandayen Kong and Mandayen Energiser. Abigail had estimated breeding values of +36, +62 and +103 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, respectively, and +15 for milk.

Gold Crest Limousin stud, Plainby, Qld, bought five females to $12,000, averaging $6900. They also bought a sire for their stud - Mandayen Lock & Load, a 17-month-old apricot polled son of Mandayen Lock & Load L53.

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Gold Crest stud principals Darren and Shelly Hartwig bought Mandayen females three years ago and have been happy with how they have performed in the Qld climate.

The Hartwigs breed apricot-coloured cattle and sell bulls into central and northern Qld.

"We were selecting cattle today that were sound structured, with power and docility," Mr Hartwig said.

Spence Dix & Co auctioneer Jono Spence said the Limousin bulls offered great opportunity buying, with a few regular buyers missing due to the seasonal conditions.

"The Limousin females are testament to the Mandayen program, selling to stud breeders from Qld, NSW, Vic and SA sourcing top of the breed Limousin genetics," he said.