It was a buyers market at the second annual Pinnacle Boer Goat Sale at St George on Wednesday, with studs from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria sending a range of red, black and standard Boer goats to new homes across the country.
92 goats were offered by Youlden Valley and Valley Boers, Tomingley NSW, Bengara Boer Goats and Best Reds, Peak Hill NSW, Gundare Lane Boer Goat Stud, Augathella, Coomboona Boer Goat Stud and Mitchell Genetics, Coomboona VIC, Gundi Boer Goats, St George, and Carrington View Boer Goats, Tallong, NSW.
A total of 53 goats were sold to achieve an average of $1500 per head, and an overall sale clearance of 58 per cent.
Of the 66 bucks offered, 35 were sold for a clearance rate of 53 per cent and an average of $1385 per head, while 18 of the 26 does were sold to an average of $1722/hd and a clearance of 69pc.
The Pinnacle sale is the only goat auction in Australia to use a judges panel and classification system for quality control.
Vendor Thomas Youlden, Valley Boers and Youlden Valley, said they wanted to encourage breeders to have better animals on offer and to prevent poor quality animals from being sold.
"Initiatives like this event and the educational videos we have recently released go beyond the sale, its making a statement to the agricultural industry and government organisations that many stud breeders are serious about creating and helping develop the goat industry in Australia," he said.
"Even though it was a tough sale today, we still saw buyers from South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and across the country interested in buying quality stud goats."
Lot 4, Youlden Valley Daddy Cool, topped the bucks, selling for $4000 to Marian Cahill, Maranal Farm Boer Goat Stud, Nungarin, WA, closely followed by lot 32, Valley Boers 1034, which was purchased by the Stanford family, Hendon Park Boer Goats, Bymount, for $3000.
The 21-month-old lot 4 buck weighed in at 93kg and was classified as a type four (out of five), while lot 32 weighed 78.5kg at 19 months of age, and was also deemed a type four by the judges.
Buyer Michael Stanford said they were trying to improve their herd by bringing in "a bit of growth and leg," with the new Valley Boers genetics.
Mr Stanford also purchased lot 90, Carrington View Hollie, for $1750, 100 per cent of the proceeds from which were donated by stud principals Lynn Wickenden and Marlene Andrew to raise money for the Lotter family, whose baby Jacobus needs ongoing care and cardiac surgeries
Jacobus's grandfather Kobus Lotter has supported the Australian Boer Goat Industry for many years and the funds will assist the family who were forced to move away from their farm to be closer to medical care.
A further $250 was donated to the cause by the Nutrien team, rounding the total donation to $2000.
A top price of $2500 was achieved twice for the does, with lots 83 and 84, Valley Boers Eva and Valley Boers Bridie, both going to the Butel family of Bald Hills Boer Goats, Crows Nest,
Both 21-month-old does were awarded a type four by the judging panel, and weighed in at 58 and 66kg respectively.
Gavin Butel, who mainly runs cattle, said his granddaughter was keen on breeding her own goat herd and he was happy to work alongside her.
"Consistency in the bloodline is what we've been chasing, we're just starting with a foundation herd and we've only got ten at home, so this will take us to 14," he said.
"They're all related back to the Youlden Valley line, we're just trying to set a structure of them before we start to make any changes.
"We're only starting off so we've got to start somewhere."
Mr Butel said the market was "a bit sad for selling at the moment," but that it was a good time to be investing in quality genetics as a buyer.
"We started buying when they were at there peak but we'll start seeing our average prices come down a bit now," he said.
"As long as it goes back up when we want to sell!"
Mr Stanford agreed, describing the current market as "a big pain in the gut."
"It had to happen, it couldn't stay where it was, but if it could get back around that six or seven buck mark, that would be good," he said.
Hendon Park purchased six goats at an average price of $1725 while Bald Hills took home four does for an average price of $2125.
The biggest bulk buyers on the day were Dowells Building Services, Ormeau, who secured nine bucks at an average price of $1000, and the Rayner family, St George, who went home with five bucks and one doe averaging $1125.
As Mr Youlden mentioned, goats were sold to buyers in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, as well as St George, Texas, Roma, Thallon, Barcaldine, Dalby, Guluguba and Stanthorpe.
- Selling agents: Nutrien, simulcast on Auctions Plus.
Also read: Kurrajong Park rams sell to $1900
