Strong repeat restocker support results in stellar prices for Hereford heifers

Restockers jockeying for quality future breeders sent prices skyrocketing to a summer weaner sales top for purebred Hereford heifers of $2098 or 662c/kg at Hamilton in Victoria’s Western Districts.

Hereford vendors pocketed an extra $132 or 72c/kg per head more than the Angus run of heifers with the whiteface pens averaging 573c/kg or $1694 at the Hamilton All Breeds Weaner Heifer sale on January 12.

A bidding duel between industry heavyweights Injemira Beef Genetics, Book Book, NSW, and Yarram Park Herefords, Willaura, created plenty of excitement in the Hereford offering and resulted in the yarding’s top price of $2098 or 662c/kg on both a dollars per head and cents per kilogram basis.

Marc Greening, Injemira Beef Genetics secured the pen for his joined female program, Injemira Advantage.

Offered by Gordon, Jane and Owen McClure, Beerik Partnership, Coleraine, the Injemira, Yarram Park and Melville Park blood heifers weighed 317kg, were EU accredited, weaned and March/April 2022 drop.

Mr Greening sources 200 to 300 Injemira blood heifers from the Western District sales each year, naturally joins them over eight weeks using low birthweight Injemira bulls and sells them as single lines of pregnancy tested and EU accredited females.

There was red hot demand from restockers for Hereford infused heifers with top-end Hereford genetics at Wangaratta on January 6 for a pen of Black Baldies ringing the bell for the sale top of $2250.

Cameron and Tracey Healy, Osborne Flat, offered weaner heifers, 351kg, out of Kaludah and Mawarra blood cows, sparking a bidding war which finished at $2250 or 641c/kg with Mawarra Genetics, Longford, the underbidders.

Stephen Street, Elders Myrtleford, secured the heifers on behalf of John and Julie Payne, Myrtleford and Mulwala.

Vendor Cameron Healy has sourced over the years a quality cow herd of Mawarra and Kaludah genetics joined to Angus bulls. He likes the additional weight for age gained from the hybrid vigour of the crossbreed.

Buyer John Payne plans to join the heifers to a low birthweight bull and then as a mature female to Simmental. The following week the Hereford heifers Mr Payne had bought from Peter Faithfull, Omeo, at the 2022 Mountain Calf Sales sold as PTIC females on AuctionsPlus for $4000.

Repeat buyers seeking known quality and performance paid a top of $1706 for autumn drop Hereford weaners at the Hamilton weaner heifer sale on January 13.

Leon Wheeler, Wallacedale, sold the top price purebred pen for his EU accredited Yarram Park and Mawarra blood heifers weighing 360kg and selling to Charles Stewart & Co, Hamilton.

Restockers and backgrounders competed on the yarding of 2451 Hereford and Hereford infused weaners at the Casterton Annual Heifer Sale on January 13.

Topping the purebred pens on a dollars per head basis was Glenside with a pen of Ennerdale and Banemore blood heifers weighing 338kg, March/April drop and bought by Miller Whan & John, Mount Gambier, for $1568 or 464c/kg.

In the Hereford infused pens, Limousin/Herefords sold for $1633 or 420c/kg, the Simmental/Herefords topped at $1419 or 470c/kg and the Black Baldies returned a top of $1580 or 452c/kg.

Jeof and Jill Hortle, “Woranga”, Dunrobin, topped the sale on a cents per kilogram basis with a pen of Bowmont and Yarram Park blood heifers, 225kg and European Union accredited, snapped up by Elders Bordertown for 498c/kg or $1422.

Scott Creek, Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier, SA, judged the Herefords Australia champion pen, awarding the sash to Bill and Kathy Lambert, Taronga Poll Herefords, Paschendale, for their heifers weighing 297kg. The pen sold to Andrew Whan, Miller Whan & John, for $1354 or 456c/kg.The Lambert’s averaged $1293 or 463c/kg for their draft of 56 heifers weighing an average of 278kg.

Among the major restockers was Yarram Park Herefords chasing breeding females to build herd numbers in the South Australian commercial operation of 2500 cows trading as Western Districts Pastoral.