Mordallup’s ‘proven’ yearling bulls capture strong $30,000 top-price

A Manjimup-bred 13-month-old Angus bull sold to a top-price of $30,000 at the Muir family’s Mordallup Angus Yearling Sale that sold strongly to local and Eastern States buyers.

After selling two-year-old bulls for 42 years, in 2018 Mordallup principal Mark Muir decided it was best to offer yearling bulls declaring “it’s proven — yearling bulls really work.”

The stud’s 6th annual yearling sale, conducted by Nutrien Livestock on April 13 at the Boyanup saleyards, was a testament of this new standard.

Overall, of the 72 yearling bulls offered, 71 were sold for an average price of $11,513, although back $3703/head on last year’s record prices, Mr Muir said demand remained strong in a softer market.

The sale topper, Mordallup Pindi T97, a 13-month-old son of Mordallup Moorook M51, was secured by Adcairnie Angus stud co-principals Frank and Joe Dewar, of Guilderton — first time buyers of a Mordallup stud bull.

The March 2022-drop 662kg bull recorded moderate growth Estimated Breeding Values of +55, +95 and +132 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights and was positive in all the fats.

Joe said his family, who acquired the Ardcairnie Angus stud herd in 2020, had used Mordallup herd bulls in their commercial enterprise previously, but M Pindi T97 would be a certain step-up for their stud herd.

He said the 662kg bull represented outcross genetics back to grand sire SAV Harvestor and would be put over some of Ardcairnie’s elite females as well as being used in an AI program.

“He had the highest average daily gain (1.8) in the catalogue and we liked his softness, structure and depth,” Joe said.

“We aim to breed some excellent lines of daughters from him.”

Mordallup’s homebred sire Moorook M51 bred last year’s stud record $32,000 equal top-priced bull and this was backed up this year with 11 sons offered and sold for an average price of $16,909.

Nutrien Livestock agent Ben Cooper secured a $27,000 Moorook M51 son for Dardanup account Fieldrange.

Mr Muir said the Moorook M51 was selected for stud duties as a stand-out yearling in 2017, sired by powerhouse SAV Harvestor and out of a strong brood dam with “super sires in her pedigree”.

Mordallup’s intention to breed true-to-type Angus cattle intervened the sale with the first sons of New Zealand sire Taimate Lazarus L12 offered this year.

The first of three sons offered, Mordallup Lasarus T32, found solid bidding support reaching $28,000 as sold to repeat buyer Vern Mouritz, who runs a large breeding herd and also feedlots up to 4000 head at Hyden.

“I selected him for his correctness and moderate figures,” Mr Mouritz said.

Mr Mouritz said beef producers needed to be resilient, able to ride the ups and downs of the market after he secured a genetic upgrade of ten bulls for an average price of $13,600 to replace a number of older bulls.

The other two sons of Lazarus L12, had one sold to Gandy Timbers in Manjimup for $11,000 and the other to WA College of Agriculture — Harvey for $12,000

Also weighing in on the sale was Mordallup Powerpoint T21, sired by US sire Powerpoint 5503, that was secured by Nutrien Livestock agent Chris Waddingham on behalf of new buyer GL & RK Dickson of Nannup.

The February 2022-drop 702kg bull was offered as lot 67 and came with high growth EBVs of +76, +126 and +163 for 200, 400 and 600-day weights, all in the top 1 per cent of the breed.

Mr Waddingham said his client was keen on the bull for its growth and EBV carcase (+92) to use in a 400 head self-replacing breeding herd.

The genetically diverse sale also offered sons of Canadian “super sire” HF Alcatraz 60F, with those topping at $18,000 as sold to Nutrien Livestock agent Austin Gerhardy who secured the bull on behalf of Frank Teisser.

Eastern States bids came from repeat buyers Claire and Shane Harris, of Harris Farms in south Gippsland in Victoria, who attended the sale and secured Mordallup Renown T260 for $18,000.

The couple, who run a 900 head commercial herd with calves finished on grass, were selecting on pedigree.

They were also bidding on behalf of Victoria-based Murroka for an 11 bull haul for an average price of $11,364 and Tasmania-based Quarterway Angus that bought a bull for $18,000.

Nutrien Livestock autioneer Tiny Holly said the sale held strong with good buying support based on expectations in the marketplace.