BULL SALE REPORT - September 2009
Thank you to all who attended our bull sale on September 10th. The sale was a pleasing result, with 41 lots selling to a top of $6000 and averaging $3400.
Most of the bulls stayed in a reasonably local area with the exception of a few bulls that went into the South East South Australia and Kangaroo Island.
Long time clients Woorabinda, purchased 7 bulls for their outstanding herd of Angus cows. Woorabinda were also the purchasers of lot 1, the top price bull of the sale.
Linlithgow Plains at Dunkeld, Brandon Macarthur, and Furneaux Pastoral at Caramut all purchased four bulls each.
The most sought after bulls exhibited excellent thickness, moderate maturity pattern, and above breed average EBV’s.
The bulls were in excellent order after a good winter in the area and presented well. In keeping with Barwidgee policy the bulls were not over fed giving buyers the opportunity too assess the bull’s genetics and not just their condition. With no supplementary feeding and fully prepared off grass many still weighed over 750kg, with lot 1 being over 800kg.
Please note the February sale will be held February 25th 2010
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| Calendar of Events | Downloads | |
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On Property AUTUMN Bull Sale Thursday February 25th 2010 |
Coming soon |
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On property SPRING Bull sale Thursday September 10th 2009 | Click here to view a selection of lot images Click here to view Spring Catalogue |
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Barwidgee Pastoral Company in conjunction with ABS Australia
and Independent Breeding and Marketing Service presents..... Marty RoppDirector of Field Services, American Simmental Association, Bozeman, USA“How to increase cattle lifetime production by 25% with little cost !!” Marty is the Director of Field Services for the American Simmental Association located in Bozeman Montana, USA. In addition to managing commercial and seed stock marketing and staff services of the association, he also coordinates the long running American Simmental Association Young Sire Evaluation Program. Marty has a B.Sc. Kansas State University and M.Sc. University of Missouri. Marty coached the Livestock and Meat Animal Evaluation teams of the University of Missouri during his teaching tenure there. He held positions as University Extension (Regional Livestock Specialist), for the University of Missouri and then Michigan State University, before coming to the American Simmental Association in 1998. |
PROGRAM
9.00am Inspection of cattle
9.30am Welcome and Australian Testimonials
9.40am Speaker: Marty Ropp – The Advantages of Crossbreeding
10.30am Morning Tea
11.00am Speaker: Marty Ropp - The US Simmental Carcase and Sire Evaluation Programs.
12 noon Question Time followed by complimentary lunch during which Marty will be available for informal discussions.
CONTACTS
Barwidgee: David & Wendy Kelly 03 55998329
IBMS: Dick Whale 0427 697968
ABS Australia: Bill Cornell 0428 293498
Brief Facts on the Carcass PT program
The American Simmental Association Young Sire Evaluation Program is entering its 13th year and will exceed 43,000 commercial females mated by the end of the 2009 breeding season.
So far over 400 Simmental and Simbrah sires have been evaluated through this program along with well over 100 sires of other breeds. The bulk of the other breed sires would include many of the most highly used Angus and Red Angus sires along with Charolais, Gelbvieh, Maine Anjou, Shorthorn and Braunvieh bulls. These cattle represent groups fed in 31 different feed yards in 15 states and harvested in almost every major packing plant in the U. S.
The program to date has collected sire identified complete carcass data on just over 10000 animals with another 2000 calves born, weaned or on feed. In addition the evaluation program has expanded to include intake and feed conversion data on more than 100 sire groups, (nearly 2000 Simmental, SimAngus and Angus sired steers) through a cooperative program with the University of Illinois and Montana State University.
Results to date support what research has always shown, crossbreeding works!
50% Continental x 50% British cattle consistently provides the highest value combination of quality and cutability. Simmental sired calves out of British cows routinely provide a 4% increase in total retail product over their straight-bred counterparts because of superior yield and additional growth. In addition to the large advantage in retail yield, significant efficiencies both in the feed yard and cowherd for crossbred individuals makes planned crossbreeding a prerequisite for profitable commercial livestock producers around the world.
DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE YOUR BOTTOM LINE !!
2009 BULL SALE REPORT, February 26th 2009
This year’s sale gave clients an excellent chance to purchase quality bulls at bargain prices. With many clients moving their bull purchase to the Spring sale the average price for this years sale was down a few hundred dollars on previous years.
We were really pleased with the bulls. They were a very even lineup, and they presented very well. Fed solely on pasture, other than supplementation with cereal hay in the last month or so, a number of the bulls were around 700kg. Not bad for 18 month old bulls, and it certainly shows the potential of the genetics.
We are strong believers in not presenting overfed bulls for sale. In fact over 60 years ago it was the reason that Colin began breeding his own bulls as most of the bulls on offer were from “show” type preparations. Group breedplan EBV’s are the best guide there is to an animals genetic performance and it was encouraging to see that these are still the number one selection tool for our clients. I was particularly impressed by the research done by the Shaws on their bull purchase. They had used the Angus society website data base to look at the calving history of the bulls dams. I think this is great, and it is something I do whenever I make my sire selection.
The top price bull was lot 1. He was sold to repeat clients Naweena for $6250. A very impressive young bull, he weighed 700kg on sale day, he had very well balanced EBV’s and was phenotypically excellent. Naweena were also the purchases of lot 2, the heaviest bull in the catalogue at 744kg, he was also one of my favourites, he has fantastic doing ability and a wonderful temperament. He is a powerful Sitz Alliance son with outstanding growth.
Many of the bulls sold locally, with the exception of four bulls to Aerotech Pty Ltd at Tintinara SA. We were very happy with the number of return clients that purchased bulls at the sale. It is great to hear how the Barwidgee bulls are out doing a great job.
We now get to draw breath for only a short time before we are into preparations for our September sale. The bulls are looking really good, and the outlook for the cattle market remains fairly positive so lets hope the season goes with us this year.
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100 year celebrations
On November 29th over 300 family and friends gathered at Barwidgee to celebrate the launching of Trina Weatherly’s book “The Daddie of the Field” The Kelly story from Ballinasloe to Barwidgee. The book launch coincided with 100 years of ownership of Barwidgee by the Kelly family. Two good reasons for a great celebration. The guest list consisted of the extensive extended Kelly family, and many people that had a long association with Barwidgee over the years. What a fantastic gathering of family and friends, both local and far away.
Right: Bim Affleck launches "The Daddie of the field".
Curley Calf Statement
Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM), also referred to, as “Curley Calf” is a recently identified lethal recessive gene found in some angus cattle. The defect will cause small deformed non viable calves in 25% of progeny if both parents are carriers of the gene.
GAR Precision 1680 is a widely used sire in the Angus breed and because he is a carrier of this gene the incidence of the gene in the Angus population has increased significantly, making the likelihood of two carriers being mated a much higher probability.
At Barwidgee we are undertaking extensive DNA testing to ascertain the AM status of the herd. This will enable us to ensure that all animals sold will be AM free.
We are currently awaiting results from our first round of DNA testing. These will be posted on the website and on the Angus Australia web site once they are known.
Keep up to date with the latest developments and information from Angus Angus with the link below
Angus Australia - Homepage
Sale Report from Sept 2008
The Following is a pre sale article that appeared in the weekly times prior to our spring sale. I don’t have a copy of the photos that appeared with the article. Can you please use one of the photos from eithers Bens stock of Barwidgee, or one from the disc I sent?
AFTER 100 years of farming at their Caramut property Barwidgee, the Kelly family are keeping their focus on productivity and breeding efficiency in the 73 year-old Angus stud.
Current owners David and Wendy Kelly sell 150 Angus bulls annually, a third of this in the spring.
Recently the Kellys have introduced some contract cropping, and are now reconsidering the future viability of running Merinos.
They are also introducing some Simmental genetics into their herd to breed some SimAngus bulls.
While having such a strong family history is wonderful, David adds that it comes with its own pressures to “live-up to it”.
Wendy married David in 1983 after they met while she was working on the property.
The couple took over from David’s parents, Margaret and the late Colin, in 1986 and now have two children of their own, Elizabeth, who is nine years-old and Asha, who is ten.
The 1200-hectare property has long been focused on high stocking rates and productivity and was one of the first properties in Australia to apply super phosphate in the 1930s.
“The property has always been highly productive and had a higher stocking rate than any in the area,” Wendy said.
The Kellys were also some of the first to performance-record data on their stock, in the 1960s. They were also among the first to use artificial insemination technology, in the early 1980s.
“The cattle are fairly well adapted for this environment from all this breeding,” she said.
“The focus has always been on a very productive cow herd that maximizes the amount of beef we can produce per hectare.”
With a stocking rate now of 20 dry sheep equivalent this is still well above the district average. Part of this reason for this is the long history of fertilizing the property, which high Olsen P-levels in the soil, she said.
“We’re also very careful with monitoring our worm burden levels and have a mix of sheep and cattle grazing,” she said.
During the recent drought the Kellys took particular care of their pastures, containment-feeding sheep.
Supplementary feeding of the cattle was not needed because they were let into the fenced-off waterways.
Pastures are a mix of Vic rye, sub-clovers and phalaris and David has also tried the annual ryegrass Banquet, with good success, in recent years.
“This season have been a bit tough and we didn’t get an autumn break,
but things have improved,” he said.
The Kellys run 1200 cattle, selling 150 bulls annually.
This will be the second year that they have held a spring bull sale, following demand from clients, and will offer 68 bulls.
Last year, the inaugural spring sale sold 55 bulls from 58 offered. The average was $2827 and the top, $5700. Two other Angus stud in the region also held their first spring sales, Coolana and Weeran, and achieved similarly successful results.
Wendy said about half their clients now springs calve.
“It’s a bit decision to change to spring calving, but once people make the move they say it makes a wonderful difference,” Wendy said.
“Our advisors told us for years to move to spring calving, it makes a bit difference.
“It saves feeding out so much, making all that hay.”
But the Kellys acknowledge it can mean producers need to revamp how they market their cattle, for example, moving from selling in the January weaner sales to supplying feedlots.
“And, many agents like the system of having the large January weaner sales so they may encourage people to stay with the same autumn calving, and then selling at the big weaner sales,” Wendy said.
“Selling direct to feedlots can also cut agents out of the loop, but I guess everyone just has to make up their own mind about what suits them best.”
Wendy acknowledges that with some many Angus stud now in the market, pressure is being put on average prices.
But the couple thinks their constant focus on breeding cattle that will be profitable for people who breed cattle, and that are suited to the environment, will stand them in good stead for the future.
Cow efficiency and fertility are major components of this goal.
“We don’t sacrifice fertility, doing-ability and easy-care, for fashion and fads,” Wendy said.
“A lot of people are breeding bulls that produce great steers but the females are just a by-product.
“Whereas we’re looking at the longevity of our females, short calving intervals, and not turning out backs on fertility.”
Wendy said breeding evenness of type, suited to the environment and with enough growth to meet market specifications was the goal.
“A two-year old weighing 800 kilograms is big enough,” she said.
The Kellys would like to see red-meat yield grades introduced at abattoirs.
“It would be good if people who produce what abattoirs say they want, got a premium for doing it,” David said.
But breeders would need to weigh up whether chasing yield, potentially at the expense of female fertility, would an economically smart thing to do.
“The biggest cost in any operation is maintenance of females,” he said.
The Kellys use objective measurement data extensively and although they believe DNA marker technology will have applications in future, they say the technology is still a “fair-way” from having any commercial benefit.
Beef herds are increasingly competing with other enterprises such as crops and timber in the south west, David said.
Cattle numbers are decreasing, if anything, in the region, he said.
But the Kellys see many opportunities for beef production to be done efficiently and profitability.
They introducing some Gateway Simmental bloodlines, via semen from the US stud, into their herd and sell some SimAngus bulls next year.
“This will cater for breeders who want to get some hybrid vigour, and looking at things like yield-payment systems, we think this is the way to go,” Wendy said.
“So we’re going to dip our toe in this market and see how it goes.
“With grain prices staying high there’s going to more demand for cattle suited to short-fed domestic markets.”
David said cattle businesses that keep their cost of production relatively low could fit in well on mixed enterprise farms.
“They work well here so hopefully it will work well on other people’s places,” he said.
The Kellys also run 8000 Merino sheep but are considering whether to continue with them.
If they did decide to cease this enterprise it would be a huge change, especially given the effort the Kellys have put into breeding their own rams and lowering the micron of their flock to 17.5.
“We’re just not sure about their viability, or what is going to happen with mulesing,” he said.
“Breeding would take another 10-15 years and is more suited to medium-wool sheep than finer wool.”
The Kellys’ spring bull sale is on September 11, the same day as Coolana Angus at Chatsworth. The day prior the Weeran Angus sale is on at Byaduk.