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Beef producers heading to Rockhampton for Beef Australia 2021 in May, will have a chance to inspect some of the 55 bulls drafted for the inaugural NK Brahmans and 4 Ways Charolais Bull Sale taking place at the Emerald Ag-grow selling complex, on September 6, from midday.
4 Ways studmaster David Whitechurch, Inverell, New South Wales, said the sale has been developed in unison with Fiona Skinner and Kay Hills, of NK stud, Theodore, Queensland, to make their Brahman and Charolais genetics available together in one location.
"These breeds are a popular crossbreeding option in Central Qld commercial operations, and as NK and 4 Ways have been selling bulls in the area for quite awhile, it made sense to offer both breeds in the one sale," Mr Whitechurch said.
He said the selection of 4 Ways sale bulls have had an excellent start to life with most being born at the end of the drought.
"From that point they've never looked back.
"They display all the characteristics we search for when we pick our sires. They're thickly built with good structure, have the ability to lay down fat, a quiet disposition, and a great skin type."
The 4 Ways draft will comprise 25 Charolais lots ranging from 18-26 months.
"This will provide a good range in ages depending on what suits the prospective buyers program."
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All bulls in the 4 Ways draft will be DNA tested and sire verified, additionally all are polled, and 25 per cent are homozygous polled (PP).
"Close to half the draft will be sired by Lunar Rise, our $83,000 purchase in 2017, and we're extremely happy with the way these young sires are shaping up. The rest of the draft will be sired by Kakadu, another Evolution son that is breeding extremely well for us."
Mrs Skinner has selected 30 rising two-year-old bulls (15 reds and 15 greys), of which 80pc will be polled.
"They will be good-bodied bulls, with great temperament, good bone, and weight for their age. They'll mainly be herd bulls, although some of those can be registered if the buyer is aiming to go down that path," she said.
"In the reds, sons of Muan A Orson 4247 will be offered, and we'll be selling first drop bull calves from Gigoomgen Ultimate, who we bought from the Rockemeres at the Rockhampton Brahman Week Sale (RBWS) in 2018, for $35,000.
"The grey side will feature sons Brahrock Native, as well as progeny of several commercial homebred bulls."
Mrs Skinner said while conditions remain dry across large swathes of CQ, her sale bulls are holding their condition fairly well.
"They're currently being run on leucaena, and will be going onto grain over the next couple of months to prepare them for the sale."
All bulls catalogued for the sale will be vaccinated for botulism, 5 in 1, 3 day, and 3 germ (the NK draft will also be vaccinated for vibrio). They'll all be semen tested and soundness evaluated prior to the sale.
Mr Whitechurch will be showing six bulls at Beef 2021, along with three standout females.
"We're looking forward to meeting prospective buyers at Beef, where they can take the time to inspect our animals at their leisure. We'll also be exhibiting at the Emerald Ag-Grow Field Days from June 24 to 26, and have five bulls in the sale there.
Mrs Skinner said NK will also be offering close to 20 bulls at the Roma Brahman and Queenslander Sale on Wednesday, September 1, and their usual quota of 13 to 14 bulls for the 2021 RBWS, taking place from October 4 to 6 at CQLX.
Interested parties can also arrange to view the 4-Ways and NK bulls on-property at any time by getting in touch with the vendors.
The sale catalogue will be online from August.
Elders Studstock Rockhampton and Emerald will be conducting the sale.
- For enquiries contact Elders' agents Brian Wedemeyer on 0409 694 696 or Anthony Ball on 0428 275 499 or vendors David Whitechurch 0428 847 391 and Fiona Skinner 0417 735 011.