Both beef and dairy farmers are keen buyers of his yearlings and the Fairlie-based breeder thinks there’s a growing trend towards closed herds as farmers breed their own replacements to guard against M bovis rather than buying-in from other herds.
Other stud owners and managers have the same view and share his confidence about the prime beef outlook.
Mating heifers has become the favoured way to increase commercial herd numbers and an excellent winter in many parts of the South Island has them in good condition for breeding, increasing the demand for young bulls with low birth weight, easy-calving genetics.
Of Giddings’ 57 yearling bulls, 24 were bought by dairy farmers at an average $2600 and 33 by beef farmers and averaging $3660. Top price among the yearlings was a $7000 sale to Infinity Farms of Kurow.
The two-year bulls were also in demand at what Giddings said was an outstanding sale with prices being very close to the normal winter prices, very unusual for the spring sale. Five bulls sold for more than $10,000 with the $14,800 top price paid by Mt Cook Station. The 31 beef sales averaged $5500 and the seven sales to dairy farmers averaged $2350. Overall, six bulls were sold to stud buyers.
Stern Angus owner James Fraser is another breeder celebrating excellent results with 42 out of 43 sold at Wednesday’s on-farm sale at Pleasant Point. His average at $6900 was not far off double last year’s figure and the top price was $17,000 paid by George Johns for his Kaiwara Angus Stud at Culverden. Two other stud bulls sold at $12,000 and $11,000.
One of the leading bulls is by a son of Stern’s famous Braveheart of Stern, who has other sons and grandsons active at the stud.
Fraser also reports strong optimism for the prime beef sector with many farmers keen to maximise returns for their heifers.
Kaikoura-based Woodbank Angus owner John Murray was delighted with his yearling bull sale, achieving a five-figure top price for the first time.
His top yearling was sold for $10,000 to Oxford commercial farmer Doug Patterson.
“He’s bought from us before though this is his first yearling and so he knows the genetics,” Murray said.
“The bull will be used to get autumn and spring calves so will be well-used.”
The bull has very good EBV (estimated breeding value) rating, was bred for easy-calving and has an excellent presentation.
Woodbank’s average price at the October 2 on-farm sale was $3550, an increase of $600 on last year’s on-farm yearling sale.
About 90% of the offering was bought by the beef sector and the balance for dairy beef.
Of the 37 bulls offered, 36 sold to bidders, and the remaining bull was sold privately afterwards.
“We get a lot of return buyers and you’d have to say that people are confident,” Murray said.
He’s now setting up for the next two-year sale in June, when he will have 60 bulls on offer.
Though the businesses are independent, Murray works in on sale-day and with a joint catalogue with his cousin James Murray, who operates next door in the Clarence Valley with his Matariki Hereford Stud.
He was also very happy with his result – a full clearance of the 31 yearling bulls offered for an average $2975 and top price of $6000.
That top price was paid by Mendip Hills, which also went to $5400 for the next top-priced animal.
Yearling bulls are in good demand because of the greater interest in breeding from heifers, James Murray said.
“They’re yearling bulls for mating with heifers. There are a lot of people keen to farm beef cows and mating heifers is the best way to do it.”
James is also looking forward to his two-year sale next June with some awesome cattle.
Also, in Northern Canterbury, Te Mania Angus Stud has had a great run of recent sales and manager Will Wilding described the latest on-farm yearling sale as fantastic and far better than expected.
There was strong local support and sales as far south as Invercargill and north to Hamilton.
The top-price was $12,500 for a bull sold to Benetrade Stud in Southland. The average price was $6000, which was quite a bit up on last year’s figure, and all 45 lots were sold.
Te Mania had four yearling sons of American sire Leupold in the sale and they sold well though full details weren’t available. The animals had put on more weight than the other breeds between the time they were selected for sale and sale day itself.
Wilding sees a lot of industry confidence with more people looking to breed from heifers and confident in the fresh genetics being brought into the industry, with low birth weights and easy calving features required for heifer mating.
Te Mania now looks to the two-year bull sales in June as well. Though the outlook is positive a lot will depend on how the autumn calf sales perform, Wilding said.
Kakahu Angus, in South Canterbury, sold all 41 yearlings offered, with a $12,000 leading price, and an average of $5497.
Among other sales, in central Canterbury Glen R Angus at Sheffield had 33 two-year bulls on sale and sold 30 of them. Top-price was $10,000 with commercial client Blue Mountain Station the buyer. The average price was $6040.
Bluestone Hereford at Cave, in South Canterbury, sold all 52 yearling bulls on offer, with an average of $2263 and top-price of $2700.
A strong Northland sale was Matauri Angus at Kaeo, with a sale of 18-month bulls, selling 17 out of 17 at an average $5970 and a top-price of $15,000. There was also a full clearance of the 42 yearlings offered, at an average $4366.
