Yavenvale Poll Herefords marked their silver anniversary sale with a thumping top price of $96,000 in what was one of the single biggest offerings of Hereford bulls across the nation this year.
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Hosted on-property at Adelong, NSW, by the Pearce family, the sale on February 14 drew existing and new buyers in the sale barn and online from Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia.
From the 135 bulls offered, 109 were sold for an 81 per cent clearance, a top price of $96,000 and average of $9486. There were six bulls sold after the sale.
The sale featured the first sons to sell in Australia of impact sires KCF Bennett Resolve G595, FTF Testimony 828F and Bowen QC Q043 alongside a Herefords Australia Super Sire inductee, Yavenvale Taylor Made T874 (AI) (PP).
The top price bull, Yavenvale Trump Card T350 (AI) (PP), sold as Lot 66 over the phone to new clients Jacqui Baulch and children Thomas and Indianna, Jaclinton Poll Herefords, Illowa, Victoria, with semen retained by Yavenvale for in-herd use.
By the New Zealand sire Limehills Streaker 150368 and out of a Tobruk Maverick daughter, the April 2022 drop bull ranked on BREEDPLAN top 1 per cent for milk at +31kg, top 2 per cent for IMF (intramuscular fat) at +2.5 and 400 day weight at +83kg, top 3% for 600 day weight at +112kg and rump fat at +3.5mm, top 9 per cent for 200 day weight and top 15 per cent for EMA (eye muscle area).
Tom Baulch spotted the young homozygous polled sire during a private inspection last week and described him as a standout. He plans to join the bull in June to heifers and mature cows in July, and market his semen.
"He had that real sire appeal, and really stood out among the 140 bulls. Plus, his pedigree with his mother being a great donor cow and having that good data set as well," Tom said.
"We have a good client base at home and pick bulls to suit them but every year we take a small team of bulls to the Herefords Australia Wodonga National Sale, and I think this bull will do both jobs.
"Trump Card goes back to a New Zealand bull so it is a new outcross sire for us and fresh blood in the market."
The second top price of $28,000 was outlaid by Barry Newcomen, Newcomen Herefords, Ensay, Vic, for Yavenvale Taylor Made T874 (AI) (PP), a new Herefords Australia Super Sire.
The September 2022 drop bull was sired by Tobruk Quicksilver Q015 and out of a Glentrevor Wallace H427 daughter. He ranked on BREEDPLAN top 1 per cent for 400- and 600-day weight and the southern self-replacing index, top 2 per cent for 200-day weight and scrotal size, top 5 per cent for IMF and top 7 per cent for EMA.
Mr Newcomen was impressed with the Super Sire's docility, body depth, soft skin, good head, eyes and feet. He plans to join the bull to yearling heifers.
Existing client Richard Long, Howitt Plains, Tamleigh, Vic, paid $20,000 for a son of Bowen QC Q043, Yavenvale Tuff T519 (PP), and $15,000 for Yavenvale Ticks All Boxes T864 (AI) (PP).
Mr Long said both bulls were the ideal package for their low birthweight, high growth, EMA and IMF.
Commercial producers Gerard, Kate and Ben McIntosh, Mac's Land, Yackandandah, bought four bulls to a top of $12,000. The family run 1500 Hereford and black baldy spring and autumn calving breeders, and have been on Yavenvale blood for 15 years. They finish EU accredited steers on grass to feedlot entry weights of 450kg liveweight for JBS Australia.
"We have an active focus on marbling without losing sight of the other traits," Ben said.
"We are after 400- and 600-day growth, and milk in double action bulls (heifer and cow bulls)."
Mac's Land artificially join the entire herd to high quality bulls for rapid genetic gain. According to feedback, their Hereford feeder steers have recorded an average daily weight gain of 1.4kg and average marble score 1.89 across the year.
Hilary and Dot O'Leary, Remolea Poll Herefords, Clifton, Qld, made the long trip to buy two bulls to a top of $16,000 for Yavenvale Top Secret T565 (AI) (ET) (PP).
Mr O'Leary liked the bull's eye muscle area and maternal pedigree.
The largest volume buyer of the sale was commercial Hereford breeders Andrew and Annie Bell, Red Gum Herefords, Millicent, South Australia, with eight bulls to a top of $18,000 for Yavenvale Triple A T484 (AI) (PP).
Other notable purchasers included the Hunter Valley based Elite Poll Herefords paying $17,000 for Yavenvale Trillions T875 (AI) (PP), the Rogers family, Gelantipy, Vic, bid on AuctionsPlus for three bulls to a top of $16,000 for Yavenvale Transformer T348 (AI) (PP), Ben and Lucy Kentish, Mount Gambier, SA, bought four bulls to $16,000, Alex and Neryl Ramsay, Warren, NSW, bought four bulls to $12,000, Barry and Fay Hicks, Gundowring, Vic, three bulls to $15,000, and Yaven Pastoral Company, Adelong, two bulls to $14,000.
Interfaced with AuctionsPlus, the sale resulted in 32 lots sold on the digital platform to a top of $18,000 and online average of $9031. There were 2328 catalogue views.
Guest auctioneer Brian Leslie said the sale drew strong commercial support in the sale barn and online from Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
"Bidding was solid all the way through and so were the bulls with low birthweight, tremendously high growth and extreme IMF - they did tick the boxes and the temperament is incredible. Obviously, there were a lot of return buyers and they would be happy with what they are getting from here," Mr Leslie said.
Yavenvale co-principal James Pearce was pleased to sell bulls to five states, validating the stud's program, and appreciated the positive crowd feedback on the structure and type of the draft.
"I'm really excited with the high level of EBV performance of the catalogue as it shows progression in the direction we are going. We would've loved to have sold a few more bulls but we are realistic there has been a price correction over the last few months, so we met the market today," Mr Pearce said.
"There was good value buying for commercial producers in the $6000-$8000 price bracket, giving people confidence they will get cows in calf for a lot less than they might otherwise."
Mr Pearce said several new clients from NSW, Victoria and Tasmania purchased bulls.
He said the first Australian offering of sons of KCF Bennett Resolve G595, FTF Testimony 828F and Bowen QC Q043 was aimed at introducing fresh, outcross genetics to Australia.
"We aim to retain the EBV profile and type we like so it was great to see those bulls well received. To have the top price bull by a New Zealand sire was terrific. We will continue trying to find sires that will give our clients cutting edge genetics."
