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Bull Oak Well Bull Sale 2022-10_edited.jpg

2023 Bull Sale Report

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Bull Oak Well's Harry, Cooper, Archie Nickolls (front left) with Spence Dix & Co's Jonathan Spence, Colby Endersby, 11, and his father Pro Stock Livestock's Clint Endersby, Mount Torrens, with the $27,000 top price bull. Picture by Vanessa Binks.

Bull Oak Well Elevation S37 makes $27,000

Bull Oak Well smashed last year's sale average by more than $2000 at its annual Angus sale at Willalooka's Basin Sale Complex on Thursday, after bidders came from far and wide to view the stud's genetic progression.

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Loyal buyers without a doubt underpinned the sale's result of selling all 51 bulls offered, to a top of $27,000.

With most of the catalogue fetching between $12,000-$18,000, it helped the stud to a $14,509 sale average.

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Bull Oak Well Elevation S37 entered the ring at Lot 2 and held the attention of multiple bidders, until Pro Stock Livestock's Clint Endersby secured the sire for Arthur Ag, Mount Compass, at $27,000.

With a 32-kilogram birthweight, the bull weighed 810 kilograms at assessment on February 6 and carried a 41 centimetre scrotal circumference.

Sired by USA 18844589 Montana Elevation 7108, its Estimated Breeding Values scored in the top 1 per cent of the breed with +29 milk and top 3pc for its +13.1 eye muscle area.

Its +102 400-day-weight was in the top 20pc and top 15pc for +136 600-day-weight.

Arthur Ag bought a Bull Oak Well bull out of the paddock last year and sent Mr Endersby to snap up a solid sire at this year's sale.

"They were looking for traits to be able to put the bull over stud cows as a backup," he said,

The bull will go through an artificial insemination program in May/June, to produce Autumn calves.

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The $24,000 second-highest price bull featured at Lot 15 and was snapped up by Milland Estate through Elders Mount Gambier.

Bull Oak Well Quarterback S129 weighed 802kg after weighing in at 39kg at birth and had a 42cm scrotal circumference.

Its +125 600-day-weight was in the top 30pc of the breed, while its +25 milk was in the top 5pc. IMF scored +3.4, which was in the top 20pc, +2.3 rib, top 8pc, and +4.3 rump, top 2pc.

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Stud principal Heath Nickolls was elated about support from regular clients.

"It's about the clients and last year, Amherst's Ian Johnson made a promise to our son Archie, that he would buy an extra bull if he was still holding onto a pocketknife which he was carrying around with him at the sale.

"He came through on that promise because Archie showed him the knife as soon as he arrived. Those relationships are what this is all about."

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The $22,000 third-highest price bull snuck in at Lot 13, after Bull Oak Well Prime Minister S74 attracted plenty of attention.

Beachport's Wheal Farms made the final bid on this bull.

It weighed 834kg on assessment and recorded a 41kg BWT, and had a 42cm scrotal circumference.

It scored impressive day weight figures, with its +66 200-day-weight in the top 3pc, +111 400-day-weight in the top 6pc and top 7pc with +144 600-day-weight.

They also bought another bull at $20,000.

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Long-term buyer Luke Hayes, Padthaway, traded as Eura Carla at the sale, and secured two bulls at $14,000.

After buying at Bull Oak Well for more than a decade, Mr Hayes had no intentions of changing genetics in the future.

"Heath knows what he is doing, so we trust that," he said.

The budding relationship between the families begun after carting grain.

"We have bred cattle for about 15 years and when we started carting grain for Heath, it really just started from that point," Mr Hayes said.

The family run about 350 Angus breeders and have used Pathfinder and Roseleigh genetics in the past but Mr Hayes believed finding the best bulls, wasn't just about genetics.

"It is about the relationship with the breeder, that means more than the bull," he said.

"Anyone can find a bull which suits them at most studs but you cannot always find the right relationship with the breeder."

The Hayes' look for low birthweight and fast-growth figures.

"We try to turn off cattle as quick as possible," Mr Hayes said.

"As Heath makes gains in the stud, we do too, so it all works well."

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The sale was settled by Spence Dix & Co with auctioneer Jonathan Spence taking the bids.

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