Beef's top producing sires of 2022

While growth, pedigree, and economic decisions play a huge role in sire selection, there are many other factors such as estimated breeding values or artificial breeding programs which buyers take into account.

Queensland Country Life can reveal the top 10 most widely used sires from six leading breed societies, filled with internationally renowned breed champions and proven Australian sires.

The progeny list is likely to change as breeders continue to submit registrations for calves born in 2022.

In 2022, a total of 682 Santa Gertrudis sires registered progeny, though the society understood it may not include those born in multi-sire groups.

Rosevale Nautical N20 (PP), known for his neat sheath and balanced set of EBVs, led the charge in the Santa Gertrudis ring, with 77 total registered progeny last year.

Nautical was purchased for $34,000 by WA stud masters John, Maree, Glenn and Kasey Hasleby, Biara Santa Gertrudis stud, Northampton, in 2018 from the Greenup family's Rosevale stud in Jandowae.

The Hasleby family run up to 450 head, and Glenn Hasleby said they purchased Nautical, a son of renowned sire Rosevale Jackaroo J566, to upgrade their sire battery to homozygous polled bulls.

"Nautical is medium framed dark bull that has amazing constitution and throws a very consistent line of calves," he said.

"When we purchased (Natucial) he was left at Rosevale to work a season, as our matings for that year had finished. He then injured his back leg two weeks prior to our 2019 mating and was therefore not used in our herd till the 2020 mating season.

"He's probably one of our best sires that we have used to date in our stud and we believe he suits the WA markets perfectly."

Nautical currently services 50 cows in the Biara stud and has also serviced half of the 50 cows they purchased from Rosevale in 2021.

"I'd imagine Nautical's progeny will be up their again next year," Mr Hasleby said.

In the Charolais records for the most popular sire of 2022, Australian born calves, a Canadian homozgous polled sire, Elder's Houlio 4H (P) had 91 registered progeny.

Houlio 4H sold for CAN $110,000 for half semen interest and full possession to Lindskov Ranch, US.

Palgrove general manager Ben Noller said their stud owns the exclusive Australian rights to Houlio.

"His first calves have been weaned at Palgrove this year, they look very impressive and will be sold at our 2024 sale," he said.

"(Elders Houlio 4H) is a bull with perfect feet and legs and a bull that is adding plenty of dimension to his progeny with good calving ease.

"Reports from Australian's that have traveled to Canada is the Houlio progeny are among the best they saw."

A total of 579 Charolais sires registered at least one progeny in 2022, and Charolais breed society general manager, Colin Rex, said out of the bulls listed, all except Ayr N402F are polled.

Mr Rex said international sires were setting the pace for the breed, including LT Venture 3198, a trait leader for birthweight, 400 WT, milk and scrotal size, and boasting 377 progeny in Australia.

"Silverstream Padra P7, is a homozygous polled, NZ sire being used around the world and a trait leader in the 200WT and 400WT," he said.

"Turnbulls Duty Free 358D, is a Canadian import trait leader in the 200wt, 400WT, 600WT and scrotal size. He's sired sons which have sold to $22,000."

A Droughtmaster bull, which only sired three calves in a multi sire group in 2021, went on to sire 47 registered progeny in 2022.

Kenlogan Thursby was purchased by Steven and Claire Farmer, SC Droughtmasters, Mt Elsa, for $26,000 at the National Droughtmaster Sale in 2018.

Mr Farmer said, after running with five bulls and a mob of breeders, of the 110 calves born, Thursby sired 61 of them in 2022.

"Funnily enough in 2021, (Thursby) only sired three calves, so when I got those results back, we sent him to the meatworks," he said.

"Than I got the DNA back this year, and he's produced as many calves as three or four bulls combined.

"The year before, he had an ear infection, so that could have been a reason as to why he wasn't as active enough.

"He's given us plenty of calves anyway and his bloodline will be around for a while now."

A South Australian traditional red Simmental bull, which produced 130 total registered progeny in 2022, is also a leading sire in New Zealand.

Tom and Lizzy Baker, Woonallee Simmentals, Millicent, sold Woonallee Notice N141 (P) (AI) for $30,000 to New Zealand's Gold Creek Simmentals stud, Gisborne, at their annual sale in 2019.

Gold Creek have the exclusive semen rights to Notice and he runs on the Woonallee property as a natural mating sire.

Mr Baker described Notice as a proven sire in the Simmental breed.

"(Notice) is an exceptional bull that's bred exceedingly well and he's sired sons worth $34,000 and daughters to $22,000," he said.

The Bakers run a traditional and black Simmental stud with up to 900 registered breeding females and sell 300 bulls annually.

Mr Baker said Notice had been servicing their herd for the past five years.

"He's a certainly a bull that we use a lot and use him naturally," he said.

"Gold Creek have sold bulls in their sale for the last two years sired by him and he's got progeny in New Zealand and Australia."

A total of 449 Brangus sires registered progeny in Australia last year, with imported American Brangus sire, Suhns Business Line 30D26, registering the highest amount of progeny at 69.

Business Line was owned by Suhn Cattle Co, Eureka, Kansas, with Palgrove the first to import him into Australia back in 2018, through Suhn Cattle Co's company, Geneplus.

The sire was described as one the "most phenotypically correct herd sires" to ever sell in the history of Genetrust, the company stated.

US imported Brahman sire, Mr. 4F Accelerator 7/6 (PP) had 106 registered progeny in Australia in the last year.

Owned by 4F Cattle Co, Illinois, Texas, Accelerator is a homozygous polled sire boasting a breed leading pedigree, sired by Mr. V8 279/7, a widely used son of the National Champion and global Brahman icon, JDH Elmo Manso.

4F Cattle Company owner Marco Flores said their stud was based in a little town in Texas called San Manuel.

"We run a registered grey and red polled Brahman operation along with a commercial herd that we utilize for recipts in our embryo program," Mr Flores said.

They have been breeding brahman cattle since 2010.

Mr Flores said Mr. 4F Accelerator 7/6 was out of a Double A Cow from their good friend Danny Acevedo Miss Double A 597/9 (P).

"Accelerator is a bull that is docile, functional, and has a perfect balance of brahman characteristics," he said.

"We have been impressed with the Accelerator calves that we have raised and seen from clients here in the states and Australia."

4F Cattle Company started servicing Australia in 2020 though Rocky Repro.

"Our partners at 7N Ranch of Falls City, Tx along with ourselves are thrilled to hear the news about Mr. 4F Accelerator 7/6 being named top producing Brahman bull of 2022," Mr Flores said.

"As a polled breeder we are striving to always produce our best and Mr. 4F Accelerator 7/6 (PP) is a great example.

"We attribute our overseas success to the breeders in Australia for trusting and purchasing semen on Accelerator to make an impact in producing top quality polled cattle."

Rocky Repro marketing manager, Kimberley Dove said the stud gene pool in Australia continues to be enhanced by progressive breeders domestically.

"Others have sought to influence the Australian gene pool through the introduction of selected international sires," Ms Dove said.

"Both strategies have served our domestic markets well.

"Access to international sires has never been easier thanks in part to the social media boom, but also the increase in export-accredited semen collection centres around the world."

Ms Dove said commonly sought attributes buyers have been looking for have been "good temperament, high growth, low birthweight, good feet and legs, and a clean sheath".

"There are breeders who only select homozygous polled (PP) bulls but many who still have no preference," she said.

"Imported bulls generally attract a lot of interest, particularly if they have strong bloodlines and attributes desirable in the Australian market."