Full clearance at Young Guns sale

Young Guns Stud's Murray Grey reduction sale, due to drought and limited feed, attracted a solid contingent of buyers at the Boyanup saleyards on Monday.

Studmaster Lindsay Bagshaw offered 34 lots through agent Landmark and was pleased that his prize bull sold for $4000, even though some of the cows did not reach the price he had hoped for.

"He is an outstanding bull. We've used him for breeding over the last three years and it's been very fruitful for us," he said.

Mr Bagshaw said the Murray Grey breed's origins could be traced to the early 1900s in New South Wales, with the first systematic breeding program of Murray Greys run by Helen Sutherland.

He said the breed's easy-going nature and softness were popular with buyers.

"We've added genetics to increase the frame and growth, but the breed has a very good fat-to-muscle ratio already," he said.

Mr Bagshaw's second bull was passed in at auction when it did not hit the reserve price. It sold after the auction to an unnamed buyer for $3500.

"I watched that bull's breeding and I definitely knew what it was worth," Mr Bagshaw said.

Donnybrook wine producer Filippo Barreca bought the top-priced bull.

Mr Barreca said farming cattle was a sideline to his main business of growing grapes and making award-winning wine.

"I run my herd of 60 cows to keep the grass down on my vineyard. I was looking for a good bull today," he said.

Norm and Maureen Hill, of Catford Murray Gray Stud in Mt Barker, attended the sale in a bid to build up their herd.

After speaking at length with Mr Bagshaw before the sale, the Hills bought the top-priced PTIC cow/calf unit for $2000.

Mr Hill said he was not after any specific genetics and was interested in the offer because he knew the animals had a solid back, good feet and many of the cows came with a calf at foot.

"We had a budget but we ended up getting many more cows than we expected," he said.

"We look at the animal and if they look right we'll usually buy, even if they are not in calf."

Martin Henco, of Henco Rural in Donnybrook, said the sale was the first he had attended in several years and he was keen to buy replacement stock.

"We like the growth of the Murray Greys. We were after the younger ones in the offering," he said.

"We like the roomier growth type offering, so we are very happy with what we got."

Landmark livestock agent Tony Douglass said the sale returned a good result for those involved.

Mr Douglass said it showed there was not only quality cattle on the market at present, but there seemed to be renewed confidence in the market.

Young Guns Reduction Sale * *Offered * *Sold * *Top price * *Average * *PTIC cows * 19 19 $2000 $1137 *NIC cows * 1 1 $800 $800 *PTIC cow/calf * 8 8 $1600 $1437 *Bulls * 2 1 $4000 $4000 *Unregistered cows * 8 8 $1150 $1150 *Unregistered heifers * 2 2 $1000 $1000