|
June 2008 - Breeding Well at Cudgegong Park
Cudgegong Park was established in 1989 by Graham Boyd and his wife Celia just north of Mudgee in Central Western NSW. Initially concentrating on the development of Murray Greys, Graham has developed the stud to comprise leading Angus genetic lines as well. “Our aim is to develop functional cattle with muscle and frame and we have selected from studs who have a proven record of this,” said Graham.
The Boyds currently run about 80 to 100 performance recorded breeding cows aiming to produce bulls and females for both the Seed-stock and Commercial beef producer.
They produce under strict commercial conditions using high performance seed-stock which are able to meet market specifications and Graham sells around 20 bulls annually. ‘We put emphasis on high fertility by restricting joining periods of heifers to eight weeks and cows to twelve weeks,” said Graham. “ We have built our base from using artificial insemination and embryo transplant and have selected genetic lines from studs such as Te Mania and Wattletop.
Graham bought 7 females from the Wattletop Female Sale in 2007. Two of the resulting calves were by the USA sire Retail Product and showed enough promise for Graham to enter them into Sydney Show this year. “We have won a few awards showing steers, including the Jap Ox section at Sydney in 1996 and we felt that these Wattlletop x Retail Product steers would be competitive,” said Graham.
They did not disappoint. One of the steers weighed 378kg at under eight months of age, dresses out at 57% and scored 80.8 points overall. The other steers weighed 388kg, was also under eight months, dress out at 59% and scored 81.38 points overall.
“I was really happy with the dressing percentage of both steers as this is one of our breeding aims,” said Graham. “Both steers scored very well overall especially considering the Grand Champion steer only scored 87.9 points.”
Graham produces females with adequate frame, low maintenance, and good milking ability. He wants a mature working condition weight of between 500 to 650 kilograms that are also efficient converters of grass and give the genetic flexibility so that progeny meet desired end market specifications for his market.
The Boyds were successful in purchasing another 2 PTIC heifers and 1 cow at the 2008 Wattletop Female Sale. We wish Graham all the best with his breeding in the future.
______________________________________________________________
April 2008 - Female Sale - Auctions Plus works for Wattletop.
Archie Watts from Ben Mhor Oberon returned to Wattletop to buy his 25th female including the top price cow V23 at $5200. Archie bought 3 cows averaging $3666. He also took home 3 more cows outside the sale catalogue. Renato Gaspari from Coots Creek Angus at Hall in the ACT purchased 43 lots averaging $1672 . Renato will add these females to the 25 Wattletop cows he bought at the 2007 Cow Sale. Darby Blackley from Gundapark angus, Wandoan Qld bought 10 heifers and cows averaging $2100 to a top of $2800 for B102 , a 1407 daughter with a B3 index of $92 in calf to B/R Ambush 28.Ross McAlary from Wilga Park, Coonamble, made two trips to Wattletop under the watchful eye of his neighbour Terry Hanigan to inspect the offering of Wattletop females. Ross bought 14 females to a top of $2400 twice for X89, an OB45 daughter and X404 by Wattletop Vault V44. Ross’s 14 lots averaged $1800.
______________________________________________________________
First time buyers at Wattletop.
Bruce and Viviene Beaumont from Wonga Lea Angus at Dorrigo picked up 3 top heifers to a top of $3000 for Wattletop Usual A41 by Design Plus from U100 and PTIC to B/R Genesis. He also paid $3000 for another Magnificent heifer from the Usual family, B300 by GAR Retail Product From WT Usual U109. B300 was PTIC to BT Equator 395M. The Beaumonts paid $2600 for another Usual heifer B313 by 1407 from the powerful matron Usual U102
In summary, 90 head of 95 lots sold to a top of $5200 with a 95% clearance averaging $1944 . This was a great result for a sale conducted by Auctions Plus only.
2007 AUGUST- Wattletop Bull Sale Report
Average of $5056 at Wattletop.
The land – Matthew Cawood – Thursday Aug 16 th, 2007
The reputation of Wattletop Angus, Guyra, as a key event on the New England Angus Bull Sale calendar was reconfirmed last week, when the stud sold 107 Angus for and auction average of $5056 and to a top of $14,000.
After two post auction sales, the 98 rising two-year-old bulls sold averaged $4990, and 11 yearlings averaged $5591, with eight bulls passed in.
In what is likley to be a developing feature of the sale, 17 yearling Wagyu bulls bred by Wattletop's principal , Lock Rogers, and the Perry family, Trent Bridge Wagyu's, Guyra, were also auctioned, making a full clearance, topping at $9000 for an average of $6294.
Conducted by Elders auctioneer Paul Dooley and Andy McGeogh, the Wattletop sale improved on last year's average by $ 344 dollars, but was unable to reach the $20,000 high it hit in 2006. However the bidding ran to five figures on three lots, with the core of the sale benefiting from the big order books of the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) and Tony Maurici's Castlebar Holdings, Cassilis who between them took away nearly a third of the Angus portion.
AACo's general manager, livestock operations, David Connolly bought 24 bulls for and average of $4500, while Mr Maurici, operating at a slightly higher premium. Bought 13 bulls for $5884.
Wattletop principal, lock Rogers said the sale had run “better than I expected up until this week” – referring to the successful sales run earlier by his fellow WEB group studs, Eastern Plains and Bald Blair.
Top price of the day $14,000 was paid by the Allan Deans Family Trust, “The Grange”, Baradine, foe Wattletop Anson A366, an 870 kilogram two-year-old sire by Ardrossan Direction X3 out of a Wattletop Usual cow.
Anson's credentials includes seven GeneStar markers for Feed Efficiency and four for Tenderness, plus a 400 day growth estimated breeding value (EBV) of +77 and a 600 day growth rate of +98.
James Harris, “Abington”, Bundarra, paid $12,000 for Wattletop Avoca A340 and 866kg two-year-old son of Bon View New Design 1407.
“I liked the fact he carried low birth weight figures, but EMA (Eye Muscle Area), rib, rump and IMF(Intra-Muscular Fat) were all positive”, Mr Harris said.
The Wagyu portion of the sale was contested by a handful of specialist breeders who provided consistently strong competition for yearling bulls from Lock Roger's Door Key Stud, Guyra, and Wal and Jenny Perry's Trent Bridge stud.
In its first foray into the stud business, Trent Bridge topped the section with $9000 from Cameron and Rachel Gregg's Oak Hill Partnership, which bought four-bulls for and average of $6625.
Keeping it in the family, Mr Roger's son “young Lock” Rogers and wife Elizabeth, bought five Door Key Wagyus for an average of $6700 for their first-cross operation at “Dyamberin”, Wongwibinda.
Wattletop Gallery
 |
 |
 |
2007 Bulls being vet checked and
vaccinated for peste virus |
Wal Perry- Wattletop Breeding Cooperator |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
| Wattletop
Cube roll |
07 Sale bulls on oats |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
"Stratton" Manager
John,
mustering |
Sausage making |
Sausage eating |
Wattletop Females to $3200-The Land, Thurs 26.4.07
Amy Lewer
Wattletop Angus females sold to a top of $3200 online through AuctionsPlus last week.
Pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) cows and heifer weaners were offered by breeder, Lock Rogers, Guyra.
Of the 69 PTIC cows offered, 63 sold to an average of $1677.
Last year the top-priced female sold for $6000, Mr Rogers said the drought had a massive impact on the sale this year.
The top-priced female was sold to Karen Arnott, Scagway Angus Stud, Currabubula, west of Tamworth .
The Angus weaner heifers sold at a clearance rate of 15 per cent.
“The young heifers were good, I suppose buyers aren't to interested in them because of the time they need”. Mr Rogers said.
The five year-old PTIC females were in calf to Wattletop sires and leading Artificial Insemination (AI) Sires.
Sires such as GAR Retail Product, GAR Predestined, LT 598 Bando 9074 and Booramooka Y340, were among the joinings of some catalogued PTIC females.
Mr Rogers said the Angus Bull, LT 598 Bando 9074, was the sire of his $20,000 top-priced bull at the stud's bull sale last year.
The bulk buyer of the sale was Renato Gaspati, Coots Creek Angus Stud, Hall, ACT.
He purchased 24 females in total for an average of $1583.
Repeat buyer, Archie Watts, “Glen Mhor”, Oberon, purchased four females, he has been buying Wattletop females for four consecutive years.
Graham Boyd, “ Cudgegong Park ”, Mudgee, bought six females including P22 X 036 cows, which were part of a special mating.
Mr Rogers said his first year selling online through AuctionsPlus was very pleasing.
“We will definitely do it again, it saves time and costs and the cattle can stay in the paddock until the truck comes”.
Buyers were from as far afield as Melbourne and South Australia .
| 
