A tricky bull-selling season was always on the cards with farming money so tight.
This is the way it played out in many cases as careful Canterbury farmers looking at an unprofitable year from low returns and high costs lowered their bidding sights.
Grassmere Hereford and Riverlands J Angus stud owners Chris and Amanda Jeffries were overall pleased with the final wash-up after their Angus catalogue had a better sale than their Hereford lineup.
Riverlands had a full clearance of 21 Angus bulls after a late withdrawal in a catalogue topped by Lot 1 selling to Earnscleugh Station in Central Otago for $15,000 at the on-farm and Bidr auction.
Overall, the breeders near Cheviot in North Canterbury averaged $8214 for the lineup, which was up on last year.
Mr Jeffries said a lot of farmers were going through tough times.
He said their Angus genetics and the sale of bulls to Marlborough clients again likely counted in their favour.
The catalogue included three stud bulls among the commercial line.
Lot 1 was sired by Meadowslea Q223, bought two years ago.
Mr Jeffries said they were happy to sell this bull to a strong stud.
He said they aimed to produce bulls with a strong constitution and bred animals with attributes including a good temperament that would last.
"The good genetics should always produce well even in tough times. Well-bred stock with good background and well-recorded and all that sort of thing rise to the top."
Lot 2 was sold to Marie Fitzpatrick at Oxford’s Timperlea Angus for $12,000 and Lot 9 went to Rockley Angus from Balfour.
The Jeffries carry about 90 Angus cows on a 600ha sheep and beef property just south of Cheviot on irrigated flats, a few downs and tussock hill country and about the same number of Hereford stud cows.
"They were both good, strong bulls, thick and meaty bother sired by Limehills Stardom 168, an AI bull that we used. He’s gone on to breed very well ... They were strong on paper with moderate birth and strong growth and were both mid-framed bulls so they were well proportioned — not big, rangy bulls — with good quality."
The average of $5550 was back on last year.
Mr Jeffries said the Hereford catalogue had struggled slightly after a good run in the past.
"Every year can be different and when we talk next year we might get an extra strong line of Hereford bulls and be back up on a par. So things do wiggle round really from year to year."
Mt Possession Angus stud’s top-selling bull made $10,500 with 13 bulls sold from an 18-lot auction averaging just over $6100.
Several of the bulls passed in were sold after the on-farm and Bidr auction.
Breeders Donald and Leigh Whyte and Ryan and Sarah Hussey found a good turnout of farmers attending the on-farm and online auction at times kept their hands in their pockets.
Mr Hussey said they were hoping for a better result, but the reality was their smallish stud without the profile of the "big boys" was always going to find this season difficult.
"So not quite as shiny as last year and that’s where the farming situation is at the moment. Everyone’s struggling a bit and incomes are down and costs are up and a lot of people, us too, have spent a lot more money on feeding stock due to the dry and the weather conditions that have been ongoing. There’s been a lot of money spent just getting stock through so there’s not a lot spare in the kitty anyway."
Lot 2 sold to Rupert Hansen at Waikari was described in the catalogue as a commercial bull with a great type and outstanding data set, and sired by Mt Possession M13.
Mr Hussey said the bull had a hard-to-beat genetic package with good growth and carcass attributes and was phenotypically sound with the ability to produce good females.
Lots 3 and 6 also made$7500.
Mt Possession Angus’ stud herd has about 130 cows.
Mr Hussey said their breeding programme produced an all-round commercial bull.
He said some of their clients were increasing the cattle ratio on sheep and beef farms, but breeding up a herd or keeping a few extra was always lengthy exercise.
In 2021 the Whyte-Hussey partnership sold a rising 2-year-old bull for $88,000.
