Heifers an added bonus at Kelly Angus autumn offering

January 31, 2023

Exciting sons of one of the world’s most popular Angus bulls, plus the first offering from the stud of registered females, are big draw cards to this year’s Kelly Angus Autumn Bull and Heifer sale.

But according to stud manager Patrick Joyce, it’s the total offerings’ consistency of type which is the main attraction for commercial producers.

“This year’s bulls stand up well and will blend in seamlessly to any commercial operation,” Mr Joyce said.

“There’s bulls in the catalogue to tick most boxes, and everyone can get a job done with them.”

The sale, to be held on Thursday 23 March at the stud’s homebase in Yea, Victoria, will see the first sons of GAR Hometown to be offered at Kelly Angus up for grabs.

GAR Hometown ranked number one in the US for breed registrations in 2022, and Mr Joyce said his sons will be frontrunners in the sale.

Knowla Nobleman N127 is another bull with progeny in the sale that Mr Joyce describes as “pretty exciting”.

Used as an AI sire, Nobleman has Estimated Breeding Values in the top 3 per cent for Calving Ease Direct and both Selection Indexes, and the top 1% for docility.

He also sits in the top 7 per cent for Intramuscular Fat (IMF).

And of course, the first sons of the $108,000 Texas Powerplay to be offered at Kelly will also be in the line-up.

Live calves on the ground for their clients and themselves remains key at Kelly Angus, with moderate birthweight and calving ease a big focus.

“We want everyone to have a positive journey with their calving, and get an article that will do what they want at the end for whatever market they are targeting,” Mr Joyce said.

“That said, we are very focused on carcase qualities as well, with a high emphasis on that, and we like keeping our finger on the pulse of the most recent genetics.”

After offering commercial females in their Autumn 2022 sale, selling three pens of heifers to a top of $3500 and average of $2950, this year Kelly will put forward registered heifers.

“It should create some interest and add another element to the sale,” Mr Joyce said.

“If people want to buy them and keep them registered, they can, otherwise they will just have a really superior commercial product.

“There will be a mixture of sire lines in there, but definitely some Powerplay daughters.”

The heifers will be either 18-months or 14-months old, and pregnancy tested empty for buyers to join as they like.

All sale lots, along with a handful of the stud’s cows and calves, will be on display prior to the sale on 25 February on-property.

“People can come in and take their time to have a look, and there is no stress or pressure on them, they can go through as they will,” Mr Joyce said.

After a very wet winter and spring, including some flooding, Mr Joyce said their property had fared well in the end and they had plenty of feed going into summer.

“The bulls had a pretty tough winter…it was hard going on all the stock, but they’ve got to hold up well to all conditions or they don’t get retained in the stud, so the bulls have all done a good job.

The March 23 sale, interfaced with AuctionsPlus, will be just the fourth on-property auction for the stud, which has been in operation just shy of a decade, but it has already built up a loyal client base.

Last autumn, they sold 48 bulls at auction to an average of $9836, topping at $26,000.

Mr Joyce said while bulls travelled across three states, about two thirds of the lots stayed local to Yea.

Which was obvious at this year’s Yea weaner calf sales, where plenty of Kelly Angus sired pens were on offer.

“The weaner sales dipped a bit from last year’s record highs, but there was still a lot of positivity there, and everyone was still pretty happy, the cattle have stood up exceptionally well,” Mr Joyce said.

“Quality animals always sell there is no doubt in that and that has shone through in the weaner sales as well, if they are top quality everyone wants them.

“It was a credit to the vendors that got the extra weight and got them blooming, they are certainly getting rewarded.”

Mr Joyce predicts bull prices will reflect what is happening in the commercial market, and bidders at his sale won’t be disappointed with the value for money.

“Quality matters more than ever, so stick with a breeder you get along with and that has the same breeding objective, and you will do well.”

The annual auction gets underway at 1pm Thursday 23rd March at the Yea property and will be live online through AuctionsPlus.