Two records among ‘fantastic’ Mount William Charolais bull sale results
Price records were smashed at the season-starting Mount William Charolais autumn bull sale, setting the bar high for the coming weeks of stud beef sales. Here’s what happened in words, pictures and video.
NOT one, but two bulls set price records at last week’s Mount William Charolais 22nd autumn bull sale near Willaura, Victoria.
Setting a new benchmark price of $20,000 a piece, buyers from Narweena Station bought Lot 1 and Lot 3.
The Crocombe family, who run Narweena Station, are one of the stud’s oldest clients, having bought bulls for the last 22 years.
Lot 1, Mount William Quad-Trac, was 23 months old, weighed 865kg, with eye muscle area measurements of 135cm2, or +3.1.
His birth weight measurements were +1.1, with 200-day growth measurements of +15.
Lot 3, Mount William Quake, was a 23-month-old bull weighing in at a comparable 860kg.
His EMA measurements were 139cm2, or +2.5.
His birth weight measurements were +1.2, with 200-day growth measurements of +10.
Mount William Charolais stud principal Rob Abbott said the results were “fantastic”, with strong cattle prices across the market driving the sale.
“The key thing is I want the bulls to have a home. This year the right bulls went to the right homes,” Mr Abbott said.
He said it was pleasing the top-priced bulls were purchased by the stud’s oldest clients.
“They’ve been buying from us for about 22 years,” Mr Abbott said.
Narweena Station’s George Crocombe said the season has been favourable for cattle producers.
“Our calves, when we had our calf sale, they sold for $850,000 … that’s a lot of money,” Mr Crocombe said.
“I’ve tried other bulls before. I came here to their first sale and bought. I got a good result and have bought here ever since. I like the temperament, and I like the growth.”
Mr Abbott said the strength of the bull sale was in part driven by a year of strong price movements across the livestock industry.
“The drought up north was probably the biggest driving factor … there was feed everywhere and no-one had any cattle,” Mr Abbott said.
“Spring bull sales went crazy. They all needed bulls to join. The sale we had was tough last year. But we passed in only one animal today, and that’s brilliant. The average price was up about $1700.”
Other volume buyers at the sale included Woodrowvale Pastoral, Nutrien Colac, Rosevale Ridge PTY LTD, and the Dove family.
The average price across the bull sale was $7777, a lift from the $6051 recorded at last year’s sale.
Of the 37 bulls offered, 36 were sold.
The sale grossed $277,700.
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