THE O’Brien family of Numul Numul and Coodardie stations held their second sole cattle auction at Mataranka’s Sport with Ray White Livestock agents from Julia Creek in Queensland.
There was a good role up of people on the day with most also participating in the Fertile and Functional Cattle Selection clinic prior to the auction.
Participants were mainly private or family operators along with some government and other livestock agent personnel. The clinic was free, as was morning and afternoon tea and lunch thanks to the catering of the local Better Half Club ladies.
75 Purebred Coodardie Brahman bulls - reds and greys - and 70 commercial Coodardie Brahman females were offered in a quality line up of grass fed, genetically quiet cattle.
All had been assessed on the CLMS system of looking at 28 fertility, functionality and meat traits – not EBV’s but similar end result – i.e. more information of genetic potential for the astute buyer.
Eight bid cards were registered on the day with 6 taking home purchases.
49 Bulls averaged $1630 with Bill Darcy of Battlin Pastoral Co from Borroloola region, paying a top price of $2700 for a grey polled bull – Lot # 42.
Bill finished off the day with a total of 6 poll bulls for an average price of $2050 per head.
As a new buyer, the O’Brien family were very pleased to have Bill there and wish him well with his purchases.
Lot 13 was another grey polled bull that sold well to Brett and Suzanne Gill from Malilangwe on the Douglas Daly, for $2600.
They also took home lot 74 for $1500.
Volume buyer was again Robinson River who ended up with 24 bulls and 58 females. Their bulls averaged $1563 per head and their females averaged $582 per head.
Input of West Elsey were also repeat buyers who took home a good line of 12 bulls that averaged $1525 with a top of $1800 for Lot # 3, a nice dark grey poll bull.
Jane and Wade from Sturt Downs north of Mataranka were new buyers who took home a strong line of 5 bulls and 5 heifers.
Bulls averaged $1500 per head and the females were PTIC and sold for $570.
Mike Early also took a pen of PTIC heifers at $660 each.
The 28 open heifers all sold to Robinson River for an average of $501 and a top of $660 for the last pen of 7 red heifers.
PTIC females averaged $650 for 42 head with a top of $700 to Robinson River.
“The professionalism of the sale day including the lead-up and cataloguing of the animals are a credit to the vendors – Coodardie Brahmans,” said Bill South CEO of Mungoorbada Aboriginal Corporation of Robinson River, south of Borroloola.