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Latest News Bull prices follow performance, yet again!


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Bull prices follow performance, yet again!
[2 Nov 04]

Click on any of the news stories above for further information


Some of the main bull sales in Britain take place in Perth, Scotland in February and October each year. Buyers have never had such a wide range of recorded bulls to choose from as now.

Table 1 below demonstrates for the major breeds that most of the animals sold are recorded and, importantly, the majority of those have Beef Values and EBVs inside the Top 25% for the breed. [The Beef Value is an index of production merit, calculated from the EBVs; Signet is the arm of Britain’s Meat & Livestock Commission that does this work]

Table 1 Entries of recorded bulls, Perth October 2004

Breed
% of all bulls sold that are Signet Recorded
% of recorded bulls sold with Beef Value in Top 25% or better
% of bulls sold with Beef Value below breed average
Charolais
120
91%
83%
5%
Limousin
72
85%
72%
15%
A Angus
42
81%
97%
2%
Simmental
104
95%
79%
4%

Table 2 below demonstrates how prices paid related to the Beef Values of the recorded bulls for each of the main breeds. [Note that £1 = US$ 1.8]

Beef Value
CHAROLAIS
LIMOUSIN
SIMMENTAL
ANGUS
Average (£)
No. Sold
Average (£)
No. Sold
Average (£)
No. Sold
Average (£)
No. Sold
Top 1%
6353
10
4658
6
4657
17
4213
8
Top 10%
5157
49
3434
24
3503
41
3323
17
Top 25%
4623
31
3352
14
3302
20
4751
8
Average
3005
13
3640
12
2211
17
-
-
Below Average
2940
6
2625
5
2861
4
2730
1

Buyers are prepared to pay a significant premium for higher quality genetics. Differences in the values of animals with average Beef Values and those that were in the Top 1% of the breed range from £1000 to £3350. These are now long-established trends.

Breeders are also bringing leading genetics forward for sale. The majority of bulls have Beef Values in the Top 25% of their breed.

The sales at Perth and other centres in Britain make an ideal shop-window for the breeds concerned – we welcome breeders from overseas to come and see the quality of our stock.

Look at the societies websites from our Members section to check sale dates and venues.

[2 Nov 04]