Bandeeka Simmental bull hits $8000 - Simmental Australia

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Bandeeka Simmental bull hits $8000
By KANE CHATFIELD
VALUES reached $8000 at the
annual Bandeeka Simmental
and Red Angus on-property
bull sale at Boyanup last
Thursday.
In what was a sticky bull
market, there is no doubt the
state’s despondent beef market
is strongly influencing
producers limited sire
requirements and hesitation to
compete on selected lots.
But the fixture did draw a
big crowd including 30
registered buyers featuring a
few from South Australia, to
view what was an outstanding
line-up of young sires.
The presentation of the
catalogue was a true credit to
the Bandeeka team,
particularly in the face of
seasonal and industry adversity.
But it was the Simmentals
that found favour over their
red-coated counterparts as
extremely selective bidding
saw only three of the 15 Red
Angus bulls sell at auction.
There was some post sale
activity that saw a few bulls
cleared to improve the result.
Increased buying pressure,
again on selected lots, saw 11
of the 19 Simmental bulls
cleared and top the sale at
$8000.
At the fall of the final
hammer, the Elders team had
notched up a gross of $60,250
and an average of $4304 across
the 14 bulls sold at auction.
The average jumped $87 on
last year, but the reality was
that overall nine less bulls sold
dropping the gross by $36,750.
Cranbrook producer Tom
❐With the Simmental bull Bandeeka Poll Dusty, the $8000 top price bull at the annual Bandeeka onproperty
bull sale at Boyanup last week, is Elders stud stock manager Don Morgan (left), buyer Tom
Marshall, Cranbrook, Bandeeka stud principals Tony and Loreen Kitchen and their daughters Sarsha
Wetherall and Lyndal Colombera.
Marshall is a regular client of
the Kitchen family and
consistent buyer of the top
bulls year in, year out.
This year proved no
exception with Tom placing the
final $8000 bid on lot 19,
containing the extremely
impressive polled bull
Bandeeka Poll Dusty.
The 946kg son of LBR
Crockett R81 (P) and
Bandeeka A Puff was born on
May 2, 2008 and displayed
excellent carcase
characteristics. He measured
112cm 2 EMA at 16-months-old
and was ear marked as a
leading bull from a young age.
“If you know what a top bull
looks like, he is it,” Mr
Marshall said.
Poll Dusty displayed above
average EBVs of +1.4 BW,
+16, +26 and +25 for 200, 400
and 600-day weights.
The bull will join Tom’s top
performing Simmental base
female herd whose calves are
consistent market toppers at the
Mt Barker cattle sales.
The operation’s first draft is
sold directly off the mother at
7-8 months with the balance
finished at the feedlot.
Last year’s draft of calves
averaged $880 across the
board.
“If you buy top bulls, it
makes a difference,” Mr
Marshall said.
Landmark Capel agent Chris
Waddingham representing first
time buyers and Condingup
graziers Howard and Andrew
Hann, who both made the long
up and back trip to the sale,
purchased the sale’s $6000
second top priced bull.
Penned at lot 18, the 986kg
Bandeeka Poll Docket (P)
showed outstanding muscle
and structure and was also
among those that showed
enormous potential at a young
age measuring 127cm 2 at 18
months.

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He was sired by LBR
Crockett R81 (P) and out of
Bandeeka A Sylvia and
displayed the same birth and
growth EBVs as the top bull.
The Hanns want to maximise
the bull’s genetics with plans to
use him over some selected
Simmental females based on
Yates bloodlines to breed sires
to join to their 500-plus
Simmental-Murray Grey
commercial herd.
The operation’s heifers are
joined to Murray Grey bulls
from Young Guns and Beau
Valley studs and then cows are
joined to suitable sires
according to conformation and
constitution.
They aim to sell calves
straight off their mother at
around the 330kg mark at 8-9
months, with these generally
sold on-farm to lotfeeders.
The balance is weaned,
grazed and hay-fed until being
sold during April-June.
BANDEEKA ON-PROPERTY BULL SALE
(Under the hammer results)
Stud offered sold top gross average
Simmental 19 11 $8000 $48,500 $4409
Red Angus 15 3 $4750 $11,750 $3917
Angus 1 - - - -
Total 35 14 $8000 $60,250 $4304