The latest group of young sires have been selected to join the Herefords Australia Super Sires catalogue.
The eight new sires joining the Super Sires catalogue are:
- Warwick Court Quick Q030*
- Wirruna Qantas Q036
- Elite Trust Q066
- Yavenvale Romeo R055*
- Morganvale Ravioli R41*
- Days Godfather R077*
- Injemira Kickstart P093 R153
- Tarcombe Lottery R208
* Denotes new breeder to Super Sires program
The Super Sires program was launched in 2018 with the aim of identifying higher performing genetics within the breed. The program seeks young sire candidates that express a balance of favourable traits at the highest level.
The first bull selected in phase one of the program was Wirruna Matty M288 who has gone on to prove himself in several stud and commercial herds around Australia.
Following the launch of phase two of the program in 2021 the battery of Super Sires grew to 14 bulls which are:
- Wirruna Matty M288 (Phase One Sire)
- Ravensdale Spark M037
- Glentrevor Trust N909
- Wirruna Pilot P054
- Elite M202 P101
- Tarcombe McLaren Q203
- Injemira Robert Redford Q287
- Elite M202 Q008
- Jarrah Fortune Q236
- Kidman Hitman Q067
- Quamby Plains Qantas Q467
- Tobruk Queenstown Q004
- Wirruna Quarterback Q281
- Warringa Rumpole R206
The newest cohort of eight bulls to join the catalogue include bulls from four studs which have not previously had bulls nominated in the Super Sires program.
The expansion of the catalogue and inclusion of bulls from a range of studs and bloodlines offers greater diversity to the Super Sires program, offering breeders greater choice when selecting a Super Sire to potentially use in their operation.
Herefords Australia Technical Committee chairman (and breeder of one of the new Super Sires) Lachy Day described the addition of bulls from new herds as “really pleasing to see.”
“It’s good to see that bulls from a number of different herds are qualifying for the program.
“The fact that there are more herds involved should indicate that there is a more diverse range of genetics hitting the mark,” Mr Day said.
As with all the bulls added to the catalogue as part of Phase Two of the Super Sires Program, anyone wishing to purchase semen in any of the newly listed sires must contact individual breeders/owners of bulls for semen pricing and purchase.
Once a nominated bull is accepted into the Super Sires program, he will remain classed as a Super Sire regardless of future changes in his EBVs or indexes.
The selection list for phase two of the Super Sire Program is generated twice in a 12-month period, at the beginning of December and the beginning of June.
Selection criteria is as follows:
Animal Details
- Animal is Active
- Animal is Male
- Registration Status: HBR
- Age range – Four (4) consecutive Calving Years: (e.g., Round 1>= 2016 & <= 2019) with rollover in November each year
- Sire Verification (SV)
- LD (low density) genotype analysed
- Recessive Condition status – HY Status: HYF or HYFU, DL Status: DLF or DLFU, IE Status: IEF or IEFU, MSUD Status: MSUDF or MSUDFU
BREEDPLAN
- Observed post-birth weight performance: 200day and/or 400day and/or 600day (min. 2 traits)
- Observed Scrotal Measurement
- Observed Ultrasound Scan data (Fats, EMA, IMF%)
- TOP 25% Calving Ease DIR (%), Calving Ease DIR (%) Acc. > 35,
- TOP 25% 400 Day Wt (kg), 400 Day Wt (kg) Acc. > 60,
- = > Breed AVG. Scrotal Size (cm), Scrotal Size (cm) Acc. > 60,
- TOP 25% Eye Muscle Area (sq cm), Eye Muscle Area (sq cm) Acc. > 40,
- TOP 5% IMF (%), IMF (%) Accuracy > 45,
- TOP 5% $Index
