REGINA – A young Charolais bull less than a year old earned his owners $51,000 at this year’s Canadian Western Agribition sale Nov. 26.
A consortium of four buyers liked the Vogeli Brothers polled entry enough to take a full possession and two-thirds interest, making this youngster the high seller of the Agribition sales.
The buyers from Saskatchewan were BoJan Enterprises of Sylvania and Sparrow Farms of Vanscoy, along with New Country Livestock of Donalda, Alta., and Sandan Charolais of Erskine, Alta.
The bull went on to become reserve grand champion Charolais at the show Nov. 27.
Read Also
Feeder market adds New World screwworm risk premium
Feedlots contemplate the probability of Canadian border closing to U.S. feeder cattle if parasite found in United States
Born in January, the youngster displays depth of body and the overall thickness preferred among beef producers. His genetic makeup is a blend of North American breeding. His semen will be tested in another month, said Dennis Serhienko, whose family at Maymont, Sask., showed and sold the bull.
Purebred sales have been better than expected.
“It looks like everyone is pulling together. There are buyers from all across Canada,” said Serhienko.
The Vogelis also bought the high selling female at $7,500.
The mature bred cow, later named reserve senior champion, came from Cadieux Charolais of Shaunavon, Sask., which retained half the flushing rights.
A high priced embryo lot guaranteeing six eggs and two pregnancies went for $5,100 out of the mother of the high selling bull.
Embryo and semen sales have been reasonably strong throughout the fall, said Serhienko. Since the borders closed to all ruminants on May 20 due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, no live animals, including breeding stock, have left Canada. For international buyers, Canadian genetics are only available through semen and embryo transplants.
While livestock under the age of 30 months could return to the marketplace next spring, no one knows when breeding stock trade could resume.
“A lot of U.S. customers want the cattle and they are willing to wait,” said Serhienko.
