Autumn bull selling season kickstarts with demand for phenotype and balanced data

The autumn whiteface bull selling season kicked into gear in February with strong demand from seedstock herds sourcing elite sires and commercial producers wanting calving ease, growth and carcase.

Injemira Beef Genetics, Book Book, cleared 82 from 90 bulls to a top of $75,000 and average of $14,231 at their 52nd annual production sale on February 21.

David and Michelle Elsom, and daughters Grace and Emily Elsom, Emigrace Poll Herefords, Macarthur, Vic, outlaid the top price for Lot 4, Injemira Patriarch S042, a 19-month-old son of Bowen Patriarch P017 and out of first calf heifer Injemira Mischief Q053.

Described by Injemira principal Marc Greening as a “meat machine”, Patriarch had a low birthweight of +1.4kg, and ranked on BREEDPLAN top 5 per cent for eye muscle area at +7.1sqcm and combined moderate growth.

Second top price at $70,000 was Lot 3 Injemira Kickstart P093 S013, a 20-month-old son of Injemira Kickstart P093 ranking top 1 per cent for growth and eye muscle area, combined with calving ease and marbling. S013 was purchased by Ardno Performance Livestock, Mt Gambier, SA, and contracted by ABS Australia as the lead sire for their Hereford catalogue.

Mr Greening said there was strong international interest in semen from both bulls.

The sale marked the first sons to be offered globally of the $160,000 record breaking sire Injemira Robert Redford Q287 with Lot 38 Injemira Robert Redford S204 selling for $40,000.

“The complete drop of Robert Redford sons was offered and averaged just under $22,000,” Mr Greening said.

“Strong, regular commercial clients were willing to pay $12,000-$20,000 for good commercial bulls suitable for southern markets.

“Another highlight of the sale was the number of clients who had missed out in the last few years, and this year there were quality, affordable bulls in everyone’s price range.”

Injemira sold new Herefords Australia Super Sire inductee Injemira Genesis S141 for $24,000.

The stud also sold PTIC commercial heifers, rising two years and joined to calve over six weeks to specialist polled heifer sires. They were European Union accredited, PCAS eligible, and are purchased annually from Injemira clients. The heifers are drafted on constitution and market suitability traits with the best 200 joined to be sold for breeding.

The top price pen at $3220 were bred on Mahkwallok East and joined to paternal brothers of the record-breaking sire Injemira Robert Redford Q287 to calve in March. They were snapped up by Ray White Rural, Casino, account N & J Discretionary Trust, Casino. The draft of 146 heifers averaged $2843.

The nation’s biggest offering of whiteface bulls to go under the hammer this autumn was at Yavenvale Poll Herefords and Herefords sale, at Adelong, NSW with 138 bulls offered.

Alvio Trovello, Glendan Park Herefords, Kyneton, Vic, began at the Yavenvale sale putting together a powerful sire battery this autumn. He secured lot 37; Yavenvale Silverstone S335 for the top sale price of $55,000.

The July 2021 drop Yavenvale Silverstone S335 was sired by Glentrevor Trust N909, weighed 760kg and ranked on BREEDPLAN top 5 per cent for gestation length and all indexes. This was combined with top 10 per cent for all growth traits, scrotal size, and intramuscular fat, and top 20 per cent for calving ease direct and milk.

Mr Trovatello also paid $16,000 for Yavenvale Special Edition S696, one of the first TH Masterplan 183F (IMP USA) sons to be sold in Australia.

Steve and Debbie Reid, Talbalba Herefords, Milmerran, Qld, together with Mark and Nikita Duthie, Callaway Herefords, Irvingdale, Qld, bid $26,000 online to secure Yavenvale Squire S607, a TH Masterplan 183F son ranking top 1 per cent for 200- and 400-day growth and all indexes.

Squire was among the first eight sons by US sire TH Masterplan 183F to be offered in Australia with the draft averaging $16,625.

Herefords Australia Super Sire inductee and Masterplan son, Yavenvale Summit S695, combined elite BREEDPLAN figures, an outcross pedigree and phenotype, and was sold for $20,000 to Ged McIntosh, Mac’s Land, Bonegilla, Vic.

The big draft of bulls at Yavenvale resulted in 119 sold under the hammer to average $10,773.

The Trovatello family held the 10th annual Glendan Park bull sale on February 24, topping at $52,000, and averaging $11,818 for the 38 from 43 bulls sold under the hammer.

The top price bull was Lot 4, Glendan Park Super Cool S081, purchased by Greg and Del Rees, The Ranch Poll Herefords, Tomingley, NSW. Sired by Glendan Park Panama P004, the 21-month-old weighed 850kg, had a scrotal circumference of 41cm and a raw eye muscle scan of 108sqcm.

“Super Cool S081 caught our eye when we visited Glendan Park during the southern Beef Week. A standout sire that ticks all of the right boxes and backed by great maternal genetics. A complete package,” Del Rees said.

In the commercial buyers, the Malseed family, Orana Partnership, paid $20,000 for Lot 11, Glendan Park Solitaire S164, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to BeyondBlue.

James and Kate Luckock, Ennerdale Poll Herefords, Dundonnell, Vic, sold Ennerdale Currency S207 to Glendan Park Herefords for $42,000. The 22-month-old bull was by Tarcombe Cadbury P181, the first son of this sire to be offered and the stud retained semen for in-herd use.

Currency had BREEDPLAN figures of +17 for milk, +5.8 for eye muscle area, and 600-day weight of +96. Ennerdale cleared 30 from 36 bulls for an average of $8111.

At the start of the Yarram Park sale in February a minute’s silence was held for the late Jeremy Upton, who had worked for the stud and commercial enterprise for over three decades.

The Yarram Park sale peaked at $36,000 twice with Yarram Lottery S166 secured by repeat buyer Barry Newcomen, Newcomen Herefords, Ensay, Vic, and Yarram Superior S098 purchased by return commercial clients Leon Wheeler and Donna Eichler, Wallacedale, Vic.

A total of 50 bulls sold from the 54 offered to average $15,820 – the top average for the February run of on-property sales.

Yarram Park Performance Genetics went on to purchase Allendale Jet S065 for $34,000 at the Allendale Poll Herefords sale at Bordertown, SA. Principals Alastair and Jayne Day and sold 28 bulls from 36 to average $8857.

Lachy and Lou Day, Days Whiteface, Bordertown, cleared 41 from 47 bulls to a top of $32,000 and average of $10,854 at their 25th anniversary sale. The top price bull, Days Limelight S084 was bought by Shiloh Park Herefords, Compton, SA.

Andy and Serena Klippel, Sugarloaf Creek Herefords, Towong, sold their top price bull, Sugarloaf Saintly S134, for $26,000 to repeat clients Robert, Marcus and Scott Reid, Reid Trust, Howlong, NSW. The family were also the volume buyers taking home four bulls for an average of $17,500.

Sugarloaf Creek cleared 26 bulls from 32 offered to average $9923.

Morganvale Sharp S298, a son of Wirruna Perry P150, topped the Morganvale Beef at Keith, SA, at $23,000 for vendor Alan Morgan.

Purchased by R and S Morgan, Warrnambool, the bull ranked top 1 per cent for scrotal circumference and top five per cent for rib and rump EBVs. A total of 34 from 52 bulls sold for an average of $8437.

Scott and Pip Hann, Truro Hereford and Poll Herefords, Bellata, sold bulls to a top of $22,000 for Lot 17 Truro Stonishing S165 to the Bjorksten family, Wandong Herefords, Yeoval, NSW, and the second top of $18,000 for Truro Shootout S155 went to Ownaview Herefords, Upper Freestone, Qld.

Andrew and Vanessa Schwarz, Oak Downs Poll Hereford stud, Bordertown, SA, sold their top price bull, Oak Downs Surgeon S261, for $22,000 to Wilkah Herefords, Vasey, and Glenellerslie Hereford and Poll Herefords, Adelong, NSW. The sale resulted in 34 bulls clearing from the 40 offered for an average of $7500.

Ross and Mandy Smith, Glenellerslie Hereford and Poll Herefords, Adelong, celebrated their 30th annual sale with a top price of $13,000 and the sale of their 1000th bull.

Weighing 804kg, the top price bull, Glenellerslie Valentine 2, was bought by Ian Shaw, Galong, NSW, while the 1000th bull, Glenellerslie Viking, sold for $9000.

The online Limestone Coast Invitational All Breeds sale saw Bra-Ma Herefords, Mount Gambier, top at $6500.

Andrew and Ange Lyons, Wilkah Herefords, Vasey, Vic, sold 13 bulls sold from 19 offered to a top of $18,000 and average of $8846, with the top price bull going to Anthony Lees, Casterton.

David and Olwyn Lyons, Melville Park Herefords and Poll Herefords, Vasey, topped at $26,000 for Lot 22 Melville Sam S469, a son of US sire NJW 79Z Z311 Endure 173D. Sam had a birthweight of +5.5kg combined with 600-day growth of +103kg, +24k for milk, carcase weight +72kg, eye muscle area of +8.4sqcm and intramuscular fat of +1.7 per cent.

A total of 22 bulls sold from the 39 offered for an average of $8364.

The WA 30th annual Invitational Bull and Female Production sale was held online on February 28 with Annaghdowns Poll Herefords, Mcalinden, clearing all three bulls to a top of $11,500 and average of $7500, and Eskdale Poll Hereford stud, Cunderdin, selling two bulls from nine offered to average $5000.