A repeat buyer picked up the top price bull at Keringa Angus' fifth annual sale at Culburra on Saturday.
A son of Millah Murrah Nugget and Keringa Champagne P122 (a S Chisum 255 daughter), 18-month-old Lot 5 Keringa Sovereign S166, sold for $22,000 to George Verco, Marcollat, Padthaway.
S166 weighed 744 kilogrrams and had an average daily weight gain of 1.35kg.
Within its spread of figures was a 400-day weight of +111 in the top 6 per cent of the breed, gestation length of -7.9 (top 10pc) and calving ease +7, 200-day weight of +60, and 600-day weight of +136 - all in the top 15pc.
The bull was also in the top 15pc for all Angus selection indexes, including the Angus breeding index, domestic index, heavy grains index and heavy grass index.
Marcollat bought eight bulls operating at the top end throughout the catalogue for an average $12,375.
George Verco said they selected a mixture of heifer and cow bulls.
"We are after well put together bulls with correct structure," he said.
"We aim to breed steers 400-450kg at 12-months of age for the feedlot market."
Mr Verco said Marcollat Pastoral had been getting on very well with Keringa genetics and appreciated the paddock-reared preparation of the sale bulls.
Keringa is retaining a flush brother to use in the stud.
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Two other full embryo transfer brothers sold for $17,000 - S164 to Quarterway Angus stud, Scottsdale, Tas, and S165 to Bald Hills, Lock family, Strathalbyn.
The 792kg S164 had an average daily weight gain of 1.43kg as well as figures of 600-day weight of +162 and 400-day of +122 (top 1pc and 2pc respectively) and 200-day weight of +61.
Overall, 66 bulls were offered - up 18 on last year - with 56 sold for an average $10,509.
Second top price of $21,000 was for a son of popular sire Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15, with Keringa Paratrooper S125 sold to Spinifex Pastoral, Tintinara.
Spinifex Pastoral operated strongly throughout the catalogue to secure 10 bulls for an average $12,100.
Spinifex Pastoral's Brad Strother said he was selecting for calving ease, IMF and EMA.
Spinifex Pastoral run 1500 cows at Tintinara, with an increasing Angus influence.
The property is owned by Robert Woodward, Woodward Foods, who also owns the Swan Hill Abattoir at Swan Hill, Vic, and a feedlot over the river in NSW.
Spinifex aim is to breed calves and grow to about 400kg prior to going to the feedlot for 150 days.
The offering contained a very high content of Millah Murrah genetics.
MM Paratrooper P15 had 12 sons average $13,916 and MM Nugget N266 had five sons average $16,400 and MM Nectar N334 had four sons average $12,000.
Buyers were certainly prepared to bid up on their selected lots with 14 bulls selling between $14,000 and $22,000.
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Guest auctioneer Miles Pfitzner said Keringa's paddock run bulls presented in excellent order.
"Their investment in genetics is paving the way for the future," he said.
Keringa stud principal Trent Walker said it was a strong sale.
"The passed in lots represents the extra bulls we offered as our 2022 sale averaged $18,500 to cater for clients budgets," he said.
"There was good support from repeat and new clients and and on AuctionsPlus.
"We are getting support from buyers for our paddock reared bulls that work and last longer."
The sale was conducted by Platinum Livestock, Keith.
