COBDEN — Cornerview Charolais held its first video and online Charolais bull sale and the two top selling bulls each sold for $7,100.
Brian Coughlin,who operates the farm with his family, said the farm has held an annual bull auction for about eight years but this was the first one on the farm near Cobden, in Renfrew County. About 150 people showed up to check out the bulls in the pens but the auction took place inside in front of a large screen of pre-recorded videos of each bull. The auction also offered online bids.
The sale included 23 purebred Charolais bulls and 5 open heifers. The average sale price for the bulls was $5,080. The heifers’ average price was $3,050. One bull sold online to a farm in Alberta, Coughlin said.
Video sales are common in Western Canada and Coughlin now knows why. It was a lot of easier on everyone and “so much easier on the bulls,” he said. “When you have to truck, they tend to want to fight.”
He added that he didn’t have to worry about any animal welfare concerns as there was no need to move the bulls into a pen. It was also a lot less stressful for the animals. “No pushing and shoving and banging of doors. The bulls had a great day.”
