The Butterfields believe their yearlings should represent excellent value for money in the current climate, their 2016 average was $5270, topping at $8100.

The decision to sell yearling bulls, rather than growing them out to 18 months-two years, was driven by several factors – mainly farm management economics and performance benefits.

“We believe they work earlier, they certainly work in our herd earlier,” Mrs Butterfield said.

“We’re a small property, we run 435 acres here, and if we wanted to grow the bulls out to 18 months or two years we’d either have to send them off to be custom fed or we’d have to buy or lease more land, neither of which we particularly want to do.

“Because we know it works we decided to sell at that age.

“We’ve had customers who’ve come back for 10 years so they are used to the concept and know how to use them

“And the word’s getting out that you don’t have to wait until they’re two to use them.”

Yearling bulls should have a longer working life, thereby producing more calves overall, and reducing the dollar cost per calf produced.

Prime Angus will offer 40 bulls, from 11.30am, at their Warrenbayne property.

“They’ve had a bit of success. They had a bull two years ago sell for $41,000 and it was the highest price for a yearling bull in Australia,” said auctioneer Joe Atkins, Atkins Marketing Livestock.

“They’ve been going 11 years … and have bred some good cattle down there at Warrenbayne.”

Mrs Butterfield said ease of calving was a key to selecting Angus, along with growth, because  most yearling bulls were joined with maiden heifers.

“The other thing that attracted us to Angus is the database is so huge and accessible,” Mrs Butterfield said.

“You can find out with a great deal of confidence how that animal is going to grow, how easily it’s going to calve, how much muscle it’s going to have, how lean it’s going to be.

“There’s so much information on the Angus database you can breed with more confidence.”