21,000 Angus tops Monterey Angus and Murray Grey winter bull sale

The Buller family and the Monterey team, Karridale and Scott River, presented a quality team of 62 rising two-year-old Angus and Murray Grey bulls reflective of the Monterey brand beef producers have come to appreciate.

Monterey stud principal Gary Buller said he was delighted with this year's team of bulls.

"It is difficult to present a line of bulls this time of year with so many other things going on with cows calving, seeding and so on," he said.

"But without a doubt the depth of quality was the best we have ever offered at our winter sale."

It was a true winter fixture with heavy showers falling prior to the sale and combined with COVID-19 outbreaks throughout sections of the livestock industry saw crowd numbers down on recent years.

There were 46 registered buyers with support stretching from Port Hedland, the northern agricultural areas to Esperance with prominent South West representation.

It was also interfaced on AuctionsPlus with local and interstate buyers logged in online.

Overall the Nutrien Livestock and Elders selling teams, led by auctioneers Tiny Holly and Nathan King, sold 46 of the 62 bulls (74 per cent) at auction for an improved combined average of $9739.

Clearance was down on last year's sale where 60 of 61 Angus and Murray Grey bulls sold under the hammer to average $7983 to equal a $1756 jump in average this year.

Angus led the way with 27 of 30 bulls (90pc) finding new homes for a handy average of $11,463, up $2755 from last year's average of $8708 from a complete clearance of 24 bulls.

While the team of Angus bulls enjoyed strongly improved values from last year's winter sale, their Murray Grey stablemates found the going a little tougher and felt the absence of a couple of regular volume buyers who couldn't operate or had reduced requirements due to seasonal conditions.

At auction, 19 of 32 grey and black Murray Grey bulls (59pc) sold for an average of $7289, back only marginally by $211 on last year's average of $7500 but down significantly on clearance with 36 of 37 bulls selling under the hammer last year.

Post sale negotiations were encouraging for the Monterey stud which yielded an additional 10 sales of overlooked bulls at Brunswick after the sale while paddock sales continue onfarm.

ANGUS

The first of the $21,000 sale toppers Monterey Riverina R140 strode into the sale ring in lot 13 with a bidding battle ending when well-known northern beef producers R & R Cobley, Walkaway, agreed to the winning bid.

The soft sleek mid-July 2020 born bull painted a picture of easy doing performance and recorded raw measurements of 36kg birthweight (BW), weighed 850kg (on April 6) (LWT) and scanned 14mm rib and rump fats, 43cm scrotal (SC), 118cm2 eye muscle area (EMA) and 6.9pc intra muscular fat (IMF).

Riverina was sired by a Millah Murrah Docklands J193 son Monterey Mascot M188 and was out of Millah Murrah Equity J110 daughter Monterey Miss Broadway M24.

Two lots later and consistent top-end buyer Peter Giadresco, P & F Giadresco, followed suit with a $21,000 equal top-priced bid on Monterey Rockstar R103 to end the first run of Angus bulls on a high note.

The long-bodied well-muscled bull was sired by Millah Murrah Reality K61 and was out of a Vermont Duke E193 daughter Monterey Vanilla Lass M106.

The late June 2020-drop bull ranked second for 600-day weight for the bulls run at Monterey's Scott River property with raw data of 35kg BW, 910kg LWT, 14mm P8 fat, 8mm rump fat, 46cm SC, 116cm2 EMA and 6.2pc IMF.

Mr Giadresco purchased the top-priced bull at last year's winter bull sale and said Rockstar was a similar bull and his "number one pick of the sale".

"The style of bull we like, (it has) good weight for age and a lot of presence," Mr Giadresco said.

"He stood out with a lot of length and the underbidder must have thought the same."

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The Giadresco family run a self-replacing herd of 300 Angus breeders across three properties at Stratham, Lake Muir and East Manjimup, which calve in February-March with sale calves sold through the Boyanup weaner fixtures recently where there has been good demand for their surplus heifers as replacements.

"New genetics to go over mature cows at Lake Muir and he will be ideal to produce replacement heifers," Mr Giadresco said.

"Genetics like these are going to produce you heavy cattle.

"I keep a close eye on the markets, we were selling direct off-farm but prices have been better in the saleyards the past couple of years."

Nutrien Livestock, pastoral representative Roger Leeds got the sale off to a strong start with a winning $19,000 second top-priced bid for the opening Angus bull, Monterey Railroad R84, on behalf of return buyers De Grey Cattle Company, Bettini Beef, Port Hedland.

Railroad was another June 2020-born son of Reality K61 and a Monterey Far Out F177 daughter Monterey Hurrah K181 recording raw data of 37kg BW, 850kg LWT, 11mm for both fats, 44cm SC, 177cm2 EMA and the highest IMF in the Scott River bulls at 7.1pc.

Other higher prices paid for Angus bulls included $18,000 paid by Barreca Holding Family Trust, Donnybrook, for lot six Monterey Rio R131, a late July 2020 drop son of Prime Juggernaut N77 and a Reality K61 daughter Monterey Elle N159 with impressive raw data of 36kg BW, second highest weight of 922kg, 12mm fats, 44cm SC, 128cm2 EMA and ranked first for IMF at 7.5pc.

Repeat Esperance buyers RC & MH Teasdale, with Elders Esperance agent Michael Forward, paid $16,000 for the second last Angus bull offered a low birthweight late September 2020 born bull by new sire Millah Murrah Kruse Time N36 and a Monterey North Pole N132 sired heifers' first calf Monterey Elegant Q99 with raw measurements of 31kg BW, 780kg LWT, 13mm and 12mm P8 and rump fats respectively, 42cm SC, 129cm2 EMA and 7.3pc IMF.

Multiple Angus bull buyers with two each were Rocklea Farming Co, Boyup Brook, Nutrien Livestock, Manjimup representative Brett Chatley for a local client, Mr Leeds on behalf of LP Christian, Bakers Hill and Foster Glen Pastoral Company, Australind.

MURRAY GREY

It didn't take long for the $15,000 top Murray Grey price to be entered into the clerking sheets with the second grey bull offered (lot 17) Monterey Rhodes R225 knocked down to Rick Casagrande, Hilltop Greys, Ferguson, assisted by Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup.

Rhodes was a mid-September 2020 born bull and among the first crop of sons by Monterey Norfolk N78 (by Ayr Park Honda H57) while out of highly rated dam Monterey Showtime J228 (by a Monterey Bodybuilder daughter).

The classy silver bull displayed raw measurements of 37kg BW, 826kg LWT, 10mm for both fats, 42cm2 SC 115cm2 EMA and 5.9pc IMF.

It also recorded impressive BreedPlan figures including top 1-5pc 200-day weight (DW) and SC, top 5pc 400 DW and top 5-10pc 600 DW, top 10pc carcase weight (CWT), vealer terminal (VT) and supermarket (SM) indexes and top 10-15pc heavy grass fed (HGF) index.

Mr Roberts said the Casagrandes are previous top-priced bull buyers at Monterey and their new bull will go straight to work over their Murray Grey breeding herd based on unregistered stud bred Monterey and Southend females for a late February-March calving.

Mr Roberts said the Casagrandes were looking for a bull with a strong moderate frame that was quiet and structurally correct with a sirey outlook – "a bull that looks like a bull" – and their selection fitted their requirements well.

The Wise family, Southend Murray Grey stud, Woodanilling, paid the breed's $14,000 second top price for a new sire in the following pen containing Monterey Riverton R219.

The impressive early September 2020 born silver bull was also by Norfolk and out of a Monterey Bootlegger B216 daughter Monterey Mannequin F64.

It measured raw data of 39kg BW, 708kg LWT, 14mm fats, 44cm SC, 118cm2 EMA and 5.2pc IMF and the average birthweight high indexing bull recorded an even spread of strong BreedPlan performance including top 20-25pc for all weight intervals including mature cow weight, trait leader for SC, top 20pc EMA, positive fats, top 15-20pc IMF and top 1-5pc HGF index and top 5-10pc SM index.

The balance of the Murray Grey catalogue proved good value for money buying with several buyers taking the opportunity to stock up with multiple bulls.

A New South Wales buyer operating on AuctionsPlus collected three Murray Grey bulls costing from $6000 to $7000, while Mr Leeds also added three Murray Grey bulls to the Bettini Beef account paying from $5000 to $6000.

Collie graziers DP & GR Cowcher collected two Murray Grey bulls outlaying $6000 and to $8000 for another Norfolk son as did consistent Monterey Murray Grey buyers Threebrooks Farming, Bridgetown.