Baroma Brafords to an $8500 high, $4580 average

BRAFORD bulls went to both stud and commercial producers, topping at $8500, in the third combined Baroma Downs sale at Croppa Creek on Monday.

Doug and Susie Barnett’s Baroma Downs Brafords sold 19 of the 30 bulls on offer to an average of $4580, which was up $300 on last year’s average, and a top of $7500, along with four stud females, a 100 per cent clearance, to a $2250 average.

Invited vendors Craig and Caroline Chad’s Double C stud, at Dubbo, supplied the top-priced bull on the day, Double C J114 Jackpot, which went to repeat buyers South Australian breeders and steer producers Daniel and Helen Treloar, Naracoorte, South Australia.

The 23-month-old, 744 kilogram bull, with an eye muscle area of 119 square centimetres and an intramuscular fat (IMF) of 4.4 per cent, was selected for its overall balance of fertility, temperament, structure, mobility, carcase and maturity patterns.

The Treloars also took Double C Junior for $4000, to allow Double C a total clearance of its offering.

In the Baroma Downs line-up, progeny of Ascot Outback, purchased by the Barnetts from Central Queensland four years ago, was highly sought.

The polled Baroma Downs Nelson made Baroma’s top price of $7500 to Glen Neill, Wilgalong Partnership at Hermidale.

It was one of five bulls to go to Wilgalong to be joined to a purebred Braford herd, with Mr Neill paying an average $4100.

Tigrigie Cattle Co at Taroom, Qld, took three bulls for a $4833 average.

Mr Barnett said while the clearance rate was a bit disappointing, the fact buyers were returning in strong numbers and bulls were going to a range of geographical locations, showing they could do the job in all environments, was pleasing.

Ray and Sharon Bowen’s Southern Cross Braford Stud at Binnaway sold four of seven bulls offered to an average $4375 and top of $7500 for Southern Cross Cruiser, a 1105 kilogram bull sired by Southern Cross bull Condor, to Tigrigie Cattle Company.

Jim and Ann Chad’s Donrinda stud at Dubbo sold three of five bulls offered, to a top of $6500 for Donrinda Sid, also purchased by the Treloars.

The sale was conducted by Elders Goondiwindi with auctioneer Blake Munro.