STRONG interstate competition pushed prices to $11,000 at the home of Australia’s Ultrablack cattle, Nindooinbah, Beaudesert last week.
Nindooinbah principals Euan and Kaye Murdoch and manager Nick Cameron hosted their annual on-property Nindooinbah Spring Sale which offered 59 pregnancy tested in-calf Ultrablack, Angus and Brangus females and 86 Ultrablack and Brangus bulls through sole selling agent Elders.
Mr Cameron described his sale as solid throughout and was pleased with the interest shown by first-time South and West Australian buyers and a number of large scale pastoral companies.
“It’s great to see our Nindooinbah cattle are doing a great job all over Australia,” said Mr Cameron.
Elders auctioneers Brian Kennedy and Andrew Meara sold 20 Brangus females for a $2713 average, 27 Ultrablack females for a $3380 average and a dozen Angus females for a $2813 average.
Demand for the Brangus bulls was excellent after 26 changed hands for a $6750 average – up $2485 on last year and 60 Ultrablack bulls averaged $6108 representing an increase of $1706 on their previous attempt. In addition, a substantial number of Ultrablack bulls were sold privately after the auction.
The $11,000 top selling Ultrablack bull, Nindooinbah L48, a 20-month-old son of leading American Brangus import, WAT Lead Gun 33P6 (P) and out of the proven matron, Lawsons High Grade B1563 (AI) was bought by Elders Stud Stock manager Blake Munro for Laurie Jones, Malo, Theodore.
Nindooinbah L48 weighed 658kg and was ranked in the top 20 percent for eye muscle area, birth weight and gestation length and his 39cm scrotal circumference placed him in the top 10 percentile band.
The biggest order came from Kiara Hewton of the Great Northern Cattle Company who operates several properties in the Kimberley region of West Australia.
She bought 10 Brangus bulls and eight Ultrablack bulls for a $6611 average paying up to $8000 for the home-bred Ultrablack bull, Nindooinbah L4 and said they will be used in their mainly Brahman-based herd.
“We were chasing good functional, fertile bulls with sound figures and which will handle our conditions,” said Kiara.
Other interstate buyers were the South Australian duo of CK Oldfield and Company and McDouall Peak Pty Ltd operating through Bruce Cameron, Elders SA northern cattle co-ordinator, Port Augusta.
Mr Cameron said his clients wanted bulls conditioned to handle harsh environments and believed the Nindooinbah cattle are ideally suited. Both clients bought at auction and privately.
The Oldfield family bought half-a-dozen mainly Ultrablack bulls for a $5083 average for their Clayton Station, via Marree - situated at the bottom end of the Birdsville Track - and will use their bulls over selected Angus females.
The Rankin family of McDouall Peak Pty Ltd accounted for 16 Ultrablack bulls for a $4656 for their predominantly Angus herd on The Twins Station which is situated south of Coober Pedy.
Elders Livestock manager South East Queensland, Paul Holm, Toowoomba was co-ordinating the AuctionsPlus bidding which featured heavily throughout the entire sale.
Included in the AuctionsPlus purchasers was the Consolidated Pastoral Company, Newcastle Waters, Katherine, Northern Territory which bought 17 bulls, 15 Ultrablack and a pair of Brangus sires for a $5941 average.
Consolidated Pastoral Company paid up to $8000 for the high performance Brangus bull, Nindooinbah K700 (ET), a 25-month-old son of WW Cherokee 535W36 with excellent carcase indicies.
Elders Livestock sales manager, Cameron Wilson, Brisbane was handling the Lavington Pty Ltd order which accounted for 16 bulls comprising 10 Ultrablack and six Brangus bulls for a $6063 average.
Lavington paid up to $8500 for the last bull into the sale ring, the Brangus bull, Nindooinbah K839, with trait leading eye muscle area and intra muscular fat percentage EBVs and exceptional 200, 400 and 600 day growth figures.
- Agent; Elders