THE Kandanga Valley Charolais and Charbray sale wrapped up in Nebo yesterday, with 25 bulls selling for an average of $6280 and a clearance of 73 per cent.
The sale grossed $157,000.
Top priced bull Kandanga Valley Kerid sold for $17,500 to Greg and Shirley Callander, Colton Park, Sarina Range.
Mr and Mrs Callander were also the volume buyers of the sale, and headed home with eight bulls averaging $7875 for a gross of $63,000.
The Charolais section of the sale struggled to gain traction, with just nine of the 18 bulls offered selling.
However the Charbray section proved much more popular with the local buyers.
Mr Callander said he had not intended to pay as much as he did for Kerid, but with a fierce underbidder he had to up his budget.
“He cost me too much money, but I like that style of bull, so I try to get as many like him as I can, and they’ll throw good progeny,” he said.
Mr and Mrs Callandar run a large Charbray commercial herd with 2500 breeders, and said they have purchased the Kandanga bulls before.
“I think it was a pretty good sale,” Mr Callandar said.
Stud principle John Mercer said it was no surprise to him when the Charolais section of the sale struggled to gain interest.
“In the Charbray section it was extremely strong, and the Charolais section was a little bit tougher but what sold sold quite well, and we have sold a few bulls since the sale finished,” he said.
“We just didn’t have the Charbray numbers - we would have preferred to have 30 of them and 10 Charolais… and if we’re coming this far we have to try to get 35 or 40 bulls here.”
He said the top priced bull was out of a “fantastic cow that continually breeds bull just like him”.
“For his age, he’s only just 24 months, he’s got tremendous weight for age, outstanding muscling, and great length,” he said.
“He probably should have gone to a stud really, he’s a proper balanced bull.”
Also buying big at the sale was Wirralie Station, Mt Coolon, who bought four bulls for an average of $4500 (gross $18,000).