*23 of 31 bulls sold to $15,000, av $7717
RIDDELLVUE Angus co-principal Ian Bates says shifting to the King Valley from Alexandra has been a positive move, allowing a wider range of clients to be exposed to his bulls at this week’s annual autumn sale.
Riddellvue, now at Markwood, sold its top-priced bull for $15,000, down $5000 on last year’s $20,000.
Mr Bates said the industry appeared to back “where it needed to be.
“It was a bit carried away,” he said.
“I think it was a good result for the first sale up here”.
Shifting from Alexandra had been positive, although the stud had to make a new start.
“I think the new start was very positive, there was a great turnout,” he said.
The stud moved as the property Riddellvue was leasing was sold.
“My cow unit is still based in Alexandra, but its transition time and we will move everything up to the King Valley,” he said.
“The bulls started off at Alexandra and things were pretty tight during the floods, six or eight weeks of floods and really wet ground,” he said.
“It was a pretty tough lead up to this sale, with the floods”
The top-selling bull, Riddellvue Plantation S109 was by Clunie Range Plantation P392 out of Anvil Dream M193.
He was bought by Barry Griffiths, Seymour.
The August 2021-drop bull had TransTasman Angus Cattle Evaluation figures of a birthweight of +3.8 kilograms, a 200-day weight of +67kg, a 400-day weight of +122kg and 600-day weight of +152kg.
His eye muscle area was measured at +1.9 square centimetres, he had a rib fat measurement of +0.8 millimetres and a rump of +0.7.
Plantation’s retail beef yield came in at -1.0 per cent and his intramuscular fat was +2.6pc.
The bull’s $A index was $239, while his $A-L figure was $426.
“He has just been a standout calf, right through,” Mr Bates said. .
“His dam is an amazing cow, she has gone into the donor program now.
“He is very well put together, stood up well, with plenty of barrel, good frame – he is just a very well put together bull”.
Nutrien Yea livestock agent Rick Wills said Mr Griffiths had a 400-strong female herd, calving 200 in spring and 200 in autumn.
“He lost three bulls in the floods at Seymour – we normally buy Banquet but we try to find the best value we can,” Mr Wills said.
“I thought the Riddellvue bull is the type of animal that will do a really good job for Barry’s herd”.
He said Mr Griffiths often came close to the top of the Yea spring and autumn weaner sales.
“He breeds very good quality cattle,” he said.
Mr Bates said the move exposed the stud to a new range of clients.
“There were quite a few new buyers, from the King Valley,” he said.
“It was a great result, the feedback from the ‘new locals’ was very good – they were happy with what they saw, happy with what we are doing and happy with the set up.
“People have to travel, to come and see us, and they did”.
Nutrien Ag Solutions stud stock representative Ray Atwell said Angus sales were “not real bad, they are okay.
“They are back a little bit on last year but they would be above 2021”.
He said the recent dip in store prices was likely to be flowing through to stud bull sales.
“It means some uncertainty as to whether they should, or shouldn’t, go down a certain track.”
Buyers came from Bonegilla, NSW, Kialla, Badaginnie, Bowmans Forest, Londrigan and Carboor Upper.
Volume buyer was Nug Nug station, Maude, NSW, while ML and HK Bennet, Bowmans Forest and WG and S Swinburne, Londrigan, each picked up two bulls.
Story courtesy of Andrew Miller, Stock & Land
