2023 BULL SALE

Koojan hills angus bull tops at $21,000

It might have been a different sale format for the Koojan Hills and Melaleuca Murray Grey on-property bull sale at Manypeaks on Monday, but it didn’t affect the enthusiasm of buyers when it came to selecting their bulls as they pushed prices to a sale high $21,000.

After seeing their sale expand considerably over the past couple of years, along with occupational health and safety concerns going forward, the Metcalfe family decided instead of building a new selling complex and having a traditional ring sale they would switch to a video sale and it appeared to work well for all concerned.

With the bulls penned up in their small groups as in previous years, buyers could still inspect them and make their selections prior to the sale before they sat down in the shed out of the elements and watched individual videos of each bull come onto a large screen as they were offered.

All up 93 Angus bulls went under the hammer and new homes were found for 87 of them at an average of $10,537.

Nutrien Livestock Great Southern Manager Bob Pumphrey said overall it was another very good sale for the Metcalfe family and it was a credit to their breeding program and presentation of bulls. “It was a quality line-up of grassfed bulls right through the catalogue which were presented extremely well and highlighted the family’s breeding program,” Mr Pumphrey said. “It was also a very even line-up from start to finish and the buyers responded accordingly. There was a good number of easy calving heifer type bulls on offer alongside a very good line-up of cow bulls with good growth and muscling. The sale certainly followed the trend of most other bull sales held this year and the general cattle market, and although down slightly, to average more than $10,500 across such a big line-up is an excellent result.”

With such an even team of bulls on offer picking a standout wasn’t easy but the bull which created the most interest among buyers and sold for the day’s $21,000 top price was the classy Koojan Hills Stellar S58 in lot 5. George Pollard from Springcreek Grazing Co, Tenterden prevailed as the winner bidder. “We are very happy to have secured him. He is a well structured and well muscled bull who looks the part. He has the Stellar bloodline which we were chasing along with a good 400-day weight figure.

Mr Pollard said they have purchased now from the Koojan Hills stud for a couple of years and have been pleased with the results they are getting. “They are a good young enthusiastic family to deal with and their bulls match in well with what we want.”

Recording the day’s $20,000 second top price was lot 26 Koojan Hills Chisum S26 when it sold to return buyer Joe Davies, who has been buying from the stud for more than 30 years. Mr Davies said the bull was structurally sound with a good even set of figures. “He has really good structure and feet and we need that down here at Manypeaks,” Mr Davies said. “He also has good smoothness, length of body and good muscling. We were looking for a bull to use over our heifers to put some quality and weight into their calves and I think this bull will do just that.”

The third top price was $19,000 paid by return buyer Chase Edwards, Plain Grazing Co, Gingin, for Koojan Hills Chisum S132 in lot 22. Mr Edwards said he picked Chisum S132 out before getting to the sale based on its figures and the videos online and he wasn’t disappointed when he saw the bull in the flesh. “He presented well in the flesh and is a well filled out bull. I came to the sale chasing the Chisum 255 bloodline as it will be a new one to our herd. All the Chisum bulls presented very well and they were an even line, so I have some confidence in this bull and what it will do,” Mr Edwards said.

By Jodie Rintoul, Farm Weekly