Bull sells for $26K | Alberta ranchers win Angus banner for the ninth time since 2003
A set of cousins and a family that has been coming to the Calgary Bull Sale for four generations were the big winners at the 112th event held Feb. 28-March 1.
For Gavin and Mabel Hamilton of Innisfail, Alta., nine out of 10 isn’t bad. Since 2003, they have won the grand champion Angus banner every year but one.
Their daughter, Quinn, owned the bull, which sold for $26,000 to LCL Angus at Coronation, Alta., making it the high seller of the day.
They sold 16 bulls for an average price of $7,556.
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The reserve champion was the son of a Belvin grand champion from Calgary shown two years ago and purchased by Richard Lorenz of Markerville, Alta. He sold that bull for $7,500 to Dalrene Farms of New Norway, Alta.
Mabel Hamilton said the family has followed the same breeding program for many years, with the added advantage of combining phenotype with expected progeny differences and DNA testing.
“We have never gone one way or the other. We have never gone for fads,” she said.
They have a strong stable of commercial buyers, including one who has decided to tie in individual identification with DNA testing to study carcass traits and grading results. The DNA information then allows him to match the high quality animals to their sires.
At the Hereford show, Rob Nixdorff of SNS Herefords won the grand champion while cousin Clark Nixdorff took the reserve banner.
Both families ranch near Airdrie, Alta., and have raised Herefords for generations, said Rob Nixdorff, who works with his father, Scott.
The family also runs a commercial herd of 400 Hereford-based cows and welcomes the return of good times.
They lived through drought, BSE, U.S. country-of-origin labelling rules and depressed markets, but chose to continue raising cattle rather than disperse when the market recovered.
“We just didn’t spend as much,” he said.
Careful management and cash crops kept them afloat, he added.
The family had an excellent day, selling five bulls for an average price of $12,600. The grand champion sold for $25,000 to Fenton Hereford Ranch at Irma, Alta.
Clark Nixdorff of MN Herefords sold his reserve champion for $16,000 to Errol Verbeek of Forestburg, Alta., and Eureka Hereford Farms of Eureka River, Alta. MN Herefords sold seven bulls for an average of $6,671.
The 2012 sale saw 205 lots sell for $1.174 million with an average of $5,875. Last year’s total was less than $1 million and an average price of $4,248 on 173 head.
There were 120 Herefords on offer, which averaged $5,930, while the 77 Angus averaged $5,442.
The ranch horse sale offered 15 head with an average price of $6,786.
Fifteen pens of commercial replacement heifers averaged $6,991. Each pen contained five females.
