Sixth-generational New South Wales (NSW) property owners Jim and Sally Tickle are proud to announce their seventh annual on-property stud and commercial sale.
Ninety-nine lots of high-calibre Angus bulls and females will be split into 45 scale-breaking bulls, 45 commercial females and nine stud females.
The herd will be thrown under the hammer on Saturday 29 July, on the Sugarloaf property and online through AuctionsPlus.
“We breed good-boned and deep-ribbed bulls with good butts,” said Jim.
“Our bulls have plenty of grunt and cross extra well with Bos Indicus bred cattle.
“We strive to breed cattle that have good temperaments, are structurally correct and easy doing, low maintenance and have plenty of weight.
“If you sell cattle by the kilo, you need a Sugarloaf Angus bull.
“More kilos in your cattle can mean more dollars in your bank account.”
Three Australian records were broken for the top-priced Australian Angus commercial females sold at the Sugarloaf Angus sale last year.
Documented on the Australian Angus record prices page, Sugarloaf’s commercial record sums for the weaner heifer record stand at $5,000, their joined heifers record at $7500, and heifers with calves at foot for $11,000.
Sugarloaf Exclusive S11 (lot two), a 27-month-old 1068 kilogram Angus bull with a 148-centimeter eye muscle area, is said by Jim to be an “outstanding stud sire… one of the thickest Angus bulls seen anywhere for a long time.”
“All of our sale bulls were all recently weighed and scanned and the rising two-year-old bulls averaged 897 kilograms,” said Jim.
All top dollar bulls have been fully vaccinated with seven in one and Piliguard, blooded ready for tick areas, drenched, tested for fertility and pestivirus, are guaranteed and all have been performance recorded with Breedplan.
The herd was founded by genetics from old proven studs and has been catered across multiple sires from various locations throughout America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The Tickle History
Jim, along with his wife Sally, and their two children, 23-year-old Ben and 20-year-old Becky, are all heavily involved in the agricultural industry, with hobbies ranging from plaiting belts and whips to crafts to boxing, bow hunting, wood chopping, and of course their never-ending passion for the Sugarloaf Angus herd.
In 1857, Jim’s great, great grandfather and grandmother migrated from England to Australia with 12 of their 17 children.
Jim’s ancestors bred and sold Hereford cattle on the Sugarloaf property for 123 years.
In 1980, when Jim took over the place, he swapped the breed from Hereford to Angus and started the Sugarloaf Angus stud.
“I changed to Angus because they adapt more to the steep country well,” said Jim.
“Our herd is heavier made and are easy-doing types with broad backs and enormous hindquarters that would cross well with Bos Indicus cattle.
“We cater for everyone from the hobby farmer who buys one bull every eight years, to the large-scale producers who buy 12 or more bulls annually.”
In 2016, Jim and his few hundred head of registered cows and bulls started his on-property sales ‘to give all buyers an equal opportunity to buy the bull of their choice.’
Jim expresses how drastically times have changed from nearly every property having bullock fatteners in the area to now having only three to four, with the rest currently being vealer and weaner producers.
“The old original families are disappearing, thankfully Ben and Becky are interested big time,” said Jim.
“I believe many Angus breeders are heading down the wrong path chasing figures and too higher marbling bulls.
“A lot of Angus cattle are starting to look like Wagyu.”
Jim states his greatest accomplishment apart from selling his record commercial females ‘is expanding from the original place including renewing fences over the last 20 years and building stockyards nearly all on my own.’
To contact Jim, please email him at: tickles@activ8.net.au
For more information head to the Sugarloaf website: www.sugarloafangus.com.au/
