Beef producers chasing fertility and profitability traits were prepared to pay up to $85,000 for bulls at ALC Brahmans' bull sale at Gundaroo near Nebo on Wednesday.
The Collins family's top price was almost triple the $31,500 set at last year's sale while the entire catalogue of 100 bulls were cleared once again for an average of $10,830, compared with $5971 in 2021.
Wet weather had forced the sale's postponement to the new July 20 date but it didn't detract from the level of buyer interest as large companies and private cattle breeders chased the commercially relevant data ALC has been known to supply.
This year's bulls averaged in the top 5pc for Jap Ox and Live Ex $ indexes and scrotal size and days to calving estimated breeding values.
The stud's focus on early puberty meant a large number of the sale bulls were out of two-year-old calving dams or grand dams while 48pc of the sale bulls were either polled or scurred.
Multiple buyers on the day commented on the consistency of temperament, phenotype and raw and genetic fertility data in this year's ALC bulls.
The top priced bull for the day was lot 41, ALC 21-4828, purchased by Rodger Jefferis of Elrose Enterprises Pty Ltd at Brigalow, Theodore for $85,000.
The 21-month-old son was a scurred bull that had a days to calving EBV of -18 and was in the top 1pc for the Brahman breed for scrotal size EBV (+4.3), Jap Ox $ Index (83) and Live Ex $ Index (78). To top it off, he had what the stud called "an impeccable" four generations of calving records from the dam's side.
Mr Jefferis said Elrose undertook a reduction sale, not a dispersal, last year and still joined more than 1000 cows, with the top price bull bound for a select group of heifers during this year's joining.
While it was his first purchase from ALC, he had respected their breeding program for some time.
"He is a bull that ticked a lot of boxes...he has a good negative days to calving and all similar things our clients are looking for and we are working on in our breeding system," he said.
"Alf has been plugging away for years so to see what happened to him with that average was music to my ears and it goes to show people are now realising they need bulls with some guarantee and figures behind them."
Lot 13, ALC 21-4815, was also heavily sought after due to his scrotal size, days to calving EBVs, Jap Ox and Live Ex $ indexes sitting in the top 1pc for the breed.
Out of a two-year-old calver, he was purchased for $44,000 by Gunthorpe Cattle Co to be used at Tarramba Red Brahmans, Banana.
There was plenty of value for money too with bulls selling from $5000.
Yawuru Holdings Company Pty Ltd purchased 20 bulls for an average of $6825 to be trucked to Roebuck Plains Station, Broome, WA while Jason Simms purchased 16 bulls for Gregory Downs, Burketown averaging $8219.
"It seems the accumulative effect of ALC's genetic selection is making its mark," Alf and Louise Collins said.
"Our sale bulls still amaze even us, how wonderfully they handle the crowds of people walking amongst them in the pens. It was pleasing to see a mixture of repeat and new buyers.
"We are very humbled by the result and it's extremely rewarding when buyers with a commercial focus see benefit in our breeding program. Concentrating on fertility, through data collection, analysis and science along with a strict culling regime, combined with favourable phenotypic traits, we believe we have provided the genetics that will drive our clients profit margins in the right direction.
"The support from all who participated in our sale is sincerely appreciated."
They thanked the ALC team and JW Livestock Services for their help on the day.
The Helmsman sale gained significant interest on AuctionsPlus with all bulls semen morphology tested and presented straight off grass.
