A STRONG show of support at the Hazeldean Angus and Senegus sale saw a top price of $11,500 at the family’s second ever Gracemere sale.
The Angus bulls proved most popular, with a 100 per cent clearance, the top price bull ($11,500), a gross of $108,000, and an average of $5684.
The Senegus also sold well, with 50 of 53 bulls offered selling to a 94 per cent clearance rate, a gross of $215,500, and an average of $4310.
Overall the sale grossed $323,500 for an average of $4688.
Top priced bull was the seventh lot of the day, Hazeldean Laurencho L95.
Laurencho impressed in the books as well as in the flesh, with a scrotal circumference of 39cm, an EMA of 127sq cm, and tipping the scales at am impressed 950kg at 24 months of age.
He was the sole purchase of Windsorvale Grazing, Charters Towers, and was purchased over the phone.
The two second top priced bulls, which sold for $9000 apiece were also Angus bulls, Hazeldean Laudalino L383, and Hazeldean Lac L24.
Laudalino boasted 874kg of red meat, a scrotal circumference of 37cm, and an EMA of 118sq cm.
He sold to Spring Creek Grazing, Springsure.
Similarly, Lac weighed 852kg, had an EMA of 116sq cm, and a scrotal circumference of 40cm.
Lac went home with Chas Nobbs, Moura.
Mr Nobbs took home three bulls from the sale, all Angus bulls, grossing $22,500 for an average of $7500.
The volume buyer of the sale was Lawrie Grazing Trust, Powlathanga, Charters Towers, who purchased ten bulls over the phone.
The bulls grossed $32,500 for an average of $3250. They were all Senegus bulls.
Also buying big were the Camp family, Floraville, Burketown, who purchased seven Senegus bulls.
The Camps’ purchases grossed $37,500 for an average of $5358.
Vendors Jim and Libby Litchfield said they were more than happy with the result of the sale, which was their second for the year after holding one in Jackson only a week ago.
Mr Litchfield said the support from buyers was fantastic.
“I’m very happy with the sale today, it was a good clearance, and we were pretty happy with it being our second sale – it’s all looking up from here,” he said.
He said the family will be returning to Gracemere next year, and said going into the sale the top priced bull was a favourite.
“He was definitely one of the top ones, lot six was probably my preference, but it all comes down to what two people want,” he said.
“He’s just a long bodied, thick bull, he has plenty of capacity and his numbers are good, his EBVs are good, I can see what got him up there.”
The family run about 3500 cows, in the stud Angus herd they have 2000 breeders, and in the Senegus stud herd they have about 200 joined each year.
Mr Litchfield said he is hoping to soon have 400 Senegus breeders in the herd as they continue to focus on breeding bulls for the northern markets.
“When you look at the reproduction rates in a lot of northern herds there’s a real opening there, and a real need to produce high fertility cattle,” he said.
“But also now with the demand for carcase that’s coming through and the demand we’re seeing for Angus, I think there’s a really strong imperative…for people to start making a change.”
He said the decision to turn towards the Senepols in the crossbreeding came about in the early 2000s.
Selling agents: Hourn and Bishop.