Doors open, averages up in Nappan
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Preston Acorn’s Charolais, JPA Dundas Journy 103J, was the top-selling bull at the sale. James Hodnett bought the 1,475-pound future herd sire for $7,000. (Jacy McInnis photos).
by Heather Jones
Averages were up at the Maritime Beef Testing Society’s 48th annual breeding stock sale in Nappan, N.S., on April 2. The joie de vivre among friends and colleagues was palpable as – after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus – they were able to meet face-to-face in the Maritime Beef Test Station barn.
Online bidders were also accommodated.
Auctioneer Andy Carter was so eager to get started, he wanted to sell Maritime Beef Testing Society (MBTS) president Peter Gaunce by the pound. Cattlemen from every province in Canada and two American states watched as the auctioneer coaxed, teased, and critiqued the 111 bidders in the stands. With Jill Renton of Direct Livestock Marketing Systems (DLMS) handling the 76 potential online buyers and Connor Morse on pedigrees, they sold 57 bulls for a total of $264,200. The average, $4,635, increased $119 from last year.
Brad McCallum, executive director of the Agri-Commodity Management Association (which does office management for the test station), said he was “very happy” with the sale.
Ellsmere Farms had the top-selling Angus at the sale. Donald Shepherd paid $6,750 for the 1,510-pound Ellsmere Catalyst 1108J.
“We offered a very good, consistent group of bulls and an excellent group of heifers,” said McCallum. “We saw strong market prices translate into increased demand for breeding stock. The overall bull average was up, with bulls selling in a tighter price range with few outliers on either end of the spectrum.”
The majority of the bulls got jobs on Maritime farms, but two headed off to Quebec’s Gaspé region. “We see a growing interest from buyers in Quebec,” said McCallum. “One of the buyers was a repeat from last year, so that is an indication that they are confident in the quality of the bulls we’re turning out.”
Preston Acorn of Cardigan, P.E.I., had the top-selling bull. His Charolais, JPA Dundas Journy 103J, was purchased by James Hodnett of New Brandon, N.B., for $7,000. The 1,475-pound bull had an on-test average daily gain (ADG) of 3.88 pounds and received the Jim McInnis Bull Performance Award for the top-performing Charolais Charolais (see Awards, page 9). Eleven Charolais sold for a total of $53,200 and an average of $4,836.
Bob Bates of Kars, N.B., took home two of the highest-selling bulls. He paid $6,750 for Melver All Aboard 32J, a red, 1,570-pound Simmental consigned by Melvern Simmentals of Spa Springs, N.S. And he bought Red Lorcain Jake 1J, a 1,420-pound Red Angus from Lorcain Farms of Middle Musquodoboit, N.S., for $6,250.
The 18 Simmentals sold for a total of $87,850 and an average of $4,881. Six Red Angus went for a total of $26,000 and an average of $4,333.
Ellsmere Farms Ltd. of Canning, N.S., had the top-selling Angus. Their 1,510-pound Ellsmere Catalyst 1108J (with an ADG of 4.46 pounds) was purchased by Donald Shepherd, also of Canning, for $6,750. Fourteen Angus sold for a total of $67,850 and an average of $4,846.
Don Beal of Sackville, N.B., bought the lone percentage bull, a 1,380-pound Hereford-Angus cross consigned by Grant McCaffrey of Hunter River, P.E.I., for $5,500.
McCaffrey also had the top-selling Hereford, Hunter Acres Jupiter 3J. The 1,350-pound bull went to Nick Green of Kingston, P.E.I., for $3,500. The three Herefords totalled $9,700, with an average of $3,233.
Millstream Drum Jake 2J was the only Salers. The 1,425-pound bull, consigned by Brian Walker of Lower Millstream, N.B., went to Joey Bezanson of Springfield, N.S., for $3,750.
Shawn MacDonald of Judique, N.S., paid $3,750 for the highest-selling Limousin, Othberg Houston 18H, a 1,515-pound bull from Fritz, Sandra, and Nadine Othberg of Summerfield, N.B. Two Limousin sold for a total of $6,850.
“You got a good buy on a really good bull,” Carter told Jean-Paul Lavoie of Edmundston, N.B., who paid $3,500 for the lone Shorthorn in the sale, Green Grove 5C Johnny 9J, a 1,325-pound bull with a 14.90-inch ribeye, from Green Grove Shorthorns of Falmouth, N.S.
With three bulls, Collette Farms of Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, N.B., was the volume buyer of the sale.
Bob Bates bought two of the highest-selling bulls at the sale, including the red Simmental pictured above. He paid $6,750 for Melver All Aboard 32J, a 1,570-pound bull consigned by Melvern Simmentals.
HEIFERS
Genetics from a number of Maritime beef herds will be distributed on the Rock. Gary Murphy loaded eight heifers into a trailer after the sale and headed for Newfoundland.
The 31 heifers “sold extremely well, a reflection of the quality offered,” said McCallum. They totalled $83,000, with an average of $2,677. That included 23 bred heifers (totalling $63,000, with an average of $2,739) and eight open heifers (totalling $20,000, with an average of $2,500.)
“The average heifer price was up significantly over 2021 ($1,898) and was more than the 2015 high of $2,558,” McCallum added.
The top-selling heifer was an open Simmental from Glarro Farm (Andre Van Agten) of Antigonish, N.S. It was purchased by LMS Cattle of Amherst, N.S., for $3,600.
