Saturday, March 30, 2024

All bulls go in annual sale

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Angus yearling bulls sold readily to mostly Northland dairy farmers at the 30th annual Te Atarangi Angus on-farm sale for vendors Chris and Karren Biddles at Te Kopuru on the Pouto Peninsula.
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The average price paid was $3400 for a full clearance of 106 bulls, 10 more than last year.

Chris Biddles said last year’s high average of $3700 prompted him to offer more bulls this year so everyone who wanted to buy in the lower price range had an opportunity and that was accomplished.

A handful sold at the lowest price of $2200 late in the catalogue and the same number at the next-highest price of $2500.

Biddles said beforehand that any bull that failed to meet the reserve would be considerably more expensive if bought privately afterwards. Buyers also get an extra year of service duties because yearling bulls can be used for mating from 14 months.

All 106 offered were sold through the ring after two in the catalogue were scratched and one added at late notice.

Top price paid was $6700 for Te Atarangi Reality N002 by Mel and Nicki Story, Ratanui Angus, at Tolaga Bay, East Coast.

He was by Matauri Reality 839 out of Te Atarangi Ange and had very short gestation length EBV and low birth weight followed by good growth figures.

Reality has figures in the top 1% for Australasia.

Mel Story said stud stock agent Bruce Orr bought him a Te Atarangi yearling bull last year and he was back for more this year, with the long drive that entailed, despite having much more work to do at home after damage by flooding in early June.

Head auctioneer Cam Heggie, PGG Wrightson, said the demand for yearling Angus bulls has increased and some buyers found it easier to pay the prevailing yearling prices rather than the two-year-old bull prices.

“Beef + Lamb New Zealand tell us there are more beef cattle females around, after a long decline in the national herd, so we will need more bulls.”

Second-highest price was $5700 paid by John Marchant of Maramarua, north Waikato for a Rennylea K163-sired bull and he also paid $5500 for another bull by the same sire.

Richard Kidd, of Helensville, also paid $5700 twice for a Rennylea F266-sired bull and a Matauri Reality 839-sired bull.

Te Atarangi has had repeated success in the annual Steak of Origin awards, including Producer of the Decade.

It was the first Angus stud in NZ to sell yearling bulls at an annual sale and its primary objectives are ease of calving and heifer mating.

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