A bull with full Canadian bloodlines flew to the top at Dennis and Lou Saints Oakey Creek Speckle Park sale, last Friday, August 15, with bulls selling into four states.
The sale resulted in 29 of 32 bulls sold to a top of $20,000, to average $9735, while 10 of the 13 heifers sold to $5000 three times, for an average of $3500.
Oakey Creek Comet U35 shot to the top of the sale, being bought by Steve Lund, Talki Station, Clermont, Qld, for $20,000.
The 23-month-old bull was a complete outcross pedigree, being a full Canadian blood embryo calf by Codiak Putnam GNK 61Y and from Codiak Acres Zahrah 50Z.
Weighing 770 kilograms, the young sire measured a P8 fat scan of 15 millimetres, with a rump scan of 8mm and an eye muscle area of 119 centimetres squared.
He also recorded an intramuscular fat content of 6.6 per cent and a scrotal circumference of 39cm.
His fat scans were reflected in his estimated breeding values, with figures of +1.1 for his rib fat and +1.5 for rump fat, ranking him in the top 15pc of the breed, as well as his gestation length figure of -1.2.
With a birthweight figure of -0.6, he also ranked in the top 10pc.
The speckled bull was described in the catalogue as being an outstanding bull, and a Canadian embryo transfer calf never to be repeated.
Mr Lund also bought an additional three bulls for an average of $12,000 and three heifers, including two of the three equal top-priced heifers of $5000 each for an average of $4333.
The first of the top-price females secured by the Clermont-based operation was Oakey Creek Teressa U70, a 23-month-old Oakey Creek Cliff Hanger daughter and from Oakey Creek Teressa Q17, who was a descendant of Canadian sire Codiak Oh My Gosh GNK 8R.
The speckled female ranked in the top 15pc for her scrotal size value with a figure of +0.8, while also ranking in the top 10pc for gestation length with a value of -1.5 and a 600-day weight figure of +45, placing her in the top 20pc.
In her raw data, Teressa U70 scanned a P8 fat measurement 14mm and a rib scan of 8mm with an EMA of 79cm sq, with the second highest IMF content in the catalogue of 8.1pc.
The second top-priced female was Oakey Creek Reba U75, also purchased for $5000 by Mr Lund.
Also sired by Oakey Creek Cliff Hanger, the 23-month-old female placed in the top 15pc for her scrotal size EBV of +0.8.
Weighing 530kg, she recorded fat scans of 12mm and 7mm on her P8 and rib, respectively, with an EMA of 79cm sq and an IMF scan of 7.6pc.
Mr Lund said the family operation first introduced the breed to their operation in 2017 to join to their 4000 head Brahman operation the Central Queensland, with the aim to start breeding their own bulls in the future.
"We grow cattle out to sell to the meat works," he said.
"We find the Speckle Parks are good for growing larger bullocks and heifers.
"The best thing about them that we find is we join our maiden heifers with them and we're not losing as many heifers with calving troubles because of the smaller size of the calf."
Mr Lund said he chose the top-priced bull because of his Canadian parentage.
The final equal top-priced female was Oakey Creek Sissy U14, who sold for $5000 to Scott Sparke, Manilla.
The 24-month-old heifer weighed 545 kg, and scanned 12mm and 7mm as her P8 and rib fat measurements, respectively, along with the largest EMA in the heifer draft at 89cm sq.
There were several volume buyers active throughout the sale, including repeat purchasers Comet Downs Cattle Trust, Comet, Qld, who secured 12 bulls for an average of $8040, after buying nine bulls in the stud's sale last year.
The Glover Family, Tambo, Qld, also took home three bulls for an average of $7666, while bulls were also sold as far south as Tasmania and Kangaroo Island, SA.
Oakey Creek stud co-principal Dennis Saint said buyers sought after the larger framed bulls, which the stud tries to specialise in, with doing ability and carcase traits.
"We were very happy with the amount of returning buyers, which tells us they were happy with the product," he said.
The sale was conducted by Elders Gunnedah, with Scott Cooper as auctioneer, while StockLive provided the online interface.