Cattle producers who were interested in securing quality Droughtmaster female genetics turned out in droves at this year’s Cream of the Crop sale last Saturday.
The annual Droughtmaster stud and commercial female sale, held at Coolabunia Sale Complex in Kingaroy, offered 95 registered females.
The sale achieved an 85 percent clearance of cow and calf units, joined heifers, unjoined heifers, and bulls.
Top priced female of the sale was offered by the Scott family’s Rocky View Droughtmaster stud. Their five-year-old cow, Rocky View 1489, with a three-month-old heifer calf at foot by Billabong Yukon sire attracted plenty of buyer interest. The cow and calf unit was bought by the Streeter family, Palmvale Droughtmasters, Marlborough for $10,000.
It was the end of an era for the Scott family’s Rocky View Droughtmaster stud, with their herd being completely dispersed at the Cream of the Crop sale.
John Scott, Rocky View Droughtmasters, said it was time for the family run operation to focus on its commercial cattle breeding.
“We have really enjoyed breeding Droughtmaster stud cattle over the past 30 years and would like to thank all the people that have supported us and put their confidence in our cattle,” Mr Scott said.
Second top priced female of the sale was an unjoined heifer, Bryvonlea Eddwina, offered by Brian and Yvonne Heck, Bryvonlea Droughtmasters, Glastonbury. The good quality 19-month-old Droughtmaster heifer was out of the stud’s Bryvonlea Eddora cow with genetics from renowned Glenlands and Billabong Droughtmaster studs. The heifer was purchased by Nindethana Droughtmasters, Camp Mountain, for $7000.
Bryvonlea Droughtmasters achieved the overall top sale average of $4958 for six head during the sale, all of which were unjoined heifers.
Overall, volume buyers at the sale were the Lawrie family, Crows Nest, who took home nine head for $35,000 to average $3889. The Brooks family, Wivenhoe Pocket, signed off on seven quality females for an average of $5571, while Calco Droughtmasters, Rolleston, also took home seven females for a $3929 average.
Other vendors in this year’s Cream of the Crop sale were the Aitken family, Lorayne, Bellthorpe, L Howard, Benjamin, North Aramara, the Litchfield family, Red Acres, Hivesville, the McCabe family, Breffni, Chinchilla, D Smith, Vale View, Goomeri, and the Gillies family, Scrubby Mount, Gin Gin.
In the Cream of the Crop section of the sale, 26 of the 29 lots offered were sold for a 90 percent clearance and a $3231 sale average. Four of six cow and calf units offered sold for an average of $2813. A top price of $3750 was paid for lot one, Scrubby Mount Fran, offered by Allan and Nadia Gillies, Scrubby Mount Droughtmasters and selling to the Brooks family, Wivenhoe Pocket.
Only one joined female was offered in this section of the sale with lot four, Scrubby Mount Grace, selling to the Cormack family, Wallumbilla, for $2250. In the unjoined heifers 21 of the 22 offered were sold at an average of $3357.
In the Red Acres ‘Heart of the Herd 2’ section of the sale, 12 out of 15 females offered were sold for an average of $2917 with the top price reached for lot 43, Red Acres Heide. The 14-month-old heifer boasted Lorayne and Glenlands Droughtmaster bloodlines and was bought by the Kroll Family, Condamine Droughtmasters, Chinchilla, for $4750.
In the Rocky View Droughtmaster herd dispersal section of the sale, 51 of the 55 lots on offer averaged $4113. All 25 of the cow and calf units sold for an average of $4930.
Seven of the 10 joined females up for sale sold for an average of $3179. A top price of $5750 was paid for lot 74, Rocky View 1619, which sold to the Brooks family, Wivenhoe Pocket.
A total of 12 out of 13 unjoined heifers sold for an average of $3146 and a top of $4250 was reached twice for lot 83, Rocky View 1631, and lot 88, Rocky View 1635. Both unjoined heifers sold to the Streeter family’s Palmvale Droughtmaster stud.
All of the seven bulls on offer sold for an average of $3786. The top price bull was stud sire lot 96, Billabong Yukon, which sold for $10,000 to Warren and Carolyn Kenny, Wajatryn Droughtmasters, Gayndah.
- Agents: GDL