The 400 Angus steers come from the 40,000 ha Four Arrows Rural Management’s property that is building up a herd of 2000 Angus breeders. These Lawson blood steers will average 360 kgs by sale day and will be offered in loads ranging from just under 330 kgs to over 400 kgs making them attractive to restockers and feedlotters.

Toronga manager Jack Byrnes said Four Arrows had sold through AngusPlus previously and the system suited them well as they were able to demonstrate the careful selection process the company went through to maximize performance.

The sires of these steers along with pedigrees and EBVs will be available on the AuctionsPlus website. This will reveal the selection emphasis on marbling with all but a small number of bulls more than +1, good 400 and 600 day growth with most bulls over +80 for 600 days.

The 220 Bushy Park heifers are account the Farquharson family who up until now has been retaining heifers to build their Angus herd to the current total of 4000 and the quality young heifers on offer are surplus to its needs. The heifers are rising one year old and include bloodlines of Scotch Cap, PS Powerplay, BR New Design and Traveller.

“It is the first time we have sold good heifers that we would normally keep and we hope to make this an annual event for heifers this age,” Greg Farquharson said.

“AngusPlus is the way to go. There is less stress for the animal, you know the price before they leave the property and it is better for the buyer with more information available. We hope to make this an annual event for heifers this age.”

The Farquharsons have grown their Bushy Park Angus enterprise significantly since Greg joined his parents, Len and Joyce, at Birregurra in 1967. Greg, his wife Dinah and their children Tim, Scott and Jodie now run 4000 self-replacing Angus cows on 7700ha, of which 20 per cent is leased.

Angus weaners are now grown out on Bushy Park at Birregurra, Vic, with the breeding herd run at Caupaul, at Dergholm, which was bought in 1999, and Kalabity, at Wando Bridge near Casterton, which was bought in late 2006. Tim manages the Birregurra property and Scott manages Kalabity.

To expand their breeding herd quickly, the Farquharsons bought two herds in the summer of 2007. The purchases comprised the entire herd of 610 cows, including stud females, and 224 unjoined heifers from David Murray’s Kilburnie Angus stud at Walcha, NSW, and 360 cows and 222 weaner heifers from Brightling Park at Gunnedah, NSW.

Bushy Park steers are sold to Rangers Valley feedlot at about 16-18 months and 400 kilograms. Greg said the Kilburnie cattle had some of the highest marbling scores recorded at Rangers Valley as Mr Murray selected cattle with high marbling attributes.

The 220 heifers listed on AngusPlus are on the three properties.

Full information can be found on www.auctionsplus.com.au during the week leading up to the sale.