BOWMONT HEREFORDS
41 of 47 bulls sold to $9000, av $5415
45 of 47 heifers sold to $11,500, av $4089
110 of 112 cows sold to $28,000, av $4005
65 of 72 heifer calves to $5000, av $1896
LAST Thursday was momentous day for the King family, their 16th annual bull sale was followed by the dispersal of the Bowmont Hereford females.
The family has bred whiteface cattle at Tatyoon for more than 40 years, and while principal Sam King said it was sad to be finishing that chapter, it was an exciting opportunity for buyers to tap into their strong and stringent breeding program.
Both stud and commercial breeders seized that opportunity and competition was sustained throughout the female sale. Ninety-three people registered to bid at the sale and online through AuctionsPlus from throughout Victoria, NSW and into South Australia.
Overall 95 per cent of the females sold, and that percentage increased to 97.5pc when considering the mature females (heifers and cows) that were pregnancy tested in-calf.
Janine and Jason Swayn, Purrumbete Herefords, Camperdown, bid to $28,000 to secure Bowmont Silver Q F011 (H), whose sire line went directly back to Glendan Park Storm W134 (H).
Mrs Swayn said the cow, which had been artificially inseminated (AI’ed) to Wirruna Justin J13, was a standout. They first saw the March 2010 drop cow during the Stock & Land Beef Week open day and they were impressed by the cow’s shape, structure and ease of movement.
“She’s the pick of the herd by far and she’s produced the goods – each year, her calves are among the best and her dam is still going,” Mr Swayn added.
The Swayns also purchased her dam – the 10 year-old Bowmont Silver Q C006 (AI) (H) for $3500.
They plan to flush the top-priced cow later in the year after she’s calved, and are optimistic about the impact the Bowmont Silver cows will have on their stud,which was established in 2012 and now has 30 cows and 20 heifers.
Other sale highlights included Bowmont Queen E157 (P) that was knocked down for $16,000 to Yarram Park, trading as Western District Pastoral Co, Willaura. The 2009-drop Studbrook Challenge B069 daughter had been AI’ed to Bowmont Hustler, and had good estimated breeding values (EBVs) for growth of +34kg for 200-day weight, +53kg for 400-day and +65kg for 600-day.
Vernon Robertson, Goulburn, NSW, secured Bowmont Silver Q K141 (P) for $13,000. The Guilford Global G10 daughter was also AI’ed to Bowmont Hustler and had impressive EBVs of 40kg for 200-day growth, +69kg for 400-day and +101kg for 600-day.
Mr Robertson also purchased Bowmont Queen F036 (H), a grand-daughter of Glendan Park Storm, for $12,000.
Overall, seven females sold for more than $10,000. The other five-figure females went to Hereford studs Mawarra (Longford), Bolong (Goulburn) and Greenwood (Triabunna).
Bowmont’s Mr King said the family was very happy with the female sale, particularly with the sale of the 18 month-old heifers that was “extraordinary”.
In that category, 45 of 47 heifers sold to $11,500 (for Bowmont Oyster Girl L076 (AI) (P) that was sold to Greenwood Herefords) and averaged $4089.
Mr King said they decided to sell calves separately to give buyers more options – so they could buy the PTIC female, its calf or both.
Volume buyers took advantage of this, including Barry Hillbrick who secured 28 females. They will be a big boost to the Rainview Hereford stud at Coalville, near Moe, which he re-established in the past few years.
He bought 21 heifer calves, including 20 at the base price of $1500 and one at $1750, and seven cows to $8000, av $3821. Mr Hillbrick said he is excited to see the calves grow out as they were of similar breeding to the cows he liked for their overall phenotype, including good udders.
Thrya Pastoral, Thyra, NSW, purchased 12 cows av $2667 and eight of their calves av $1688.
E&D Lavis and Roseleigh P/L, Bungowannah, NSW, bought 14 cows, paying to $3750, av $3054.
Gunyah Herefords, Cooma, NSW, secured a bull at $8500; three heifers av $4833; and nine heifer calves av $2444.
AuctionsPlus representative Alexa Hearn said there were 50 registered buyers who logged in during the sale and 112 who watched the sale. From these registered buyers, 75 bids were placed throughout the bull and female sale including 13 winning bids to five different buyers, from Victoria, NSW and SA.
“It’s following the trend [at recent south-east Australian stud sales] of more buyers having the confidence to make online purchases,” Ms Hearn said.
Mr King said it was pleasing to see the females sell well and thanked his parents for giving him and wife Jane the opportunity to take on the stud and implement such a big change to focus on breeding Angus cattle.
Bulls
THE Paton family, Maranoa Pastoral Co, Tallangatta South, purchased Lot 1, Bowmont Conrad L014 (AI) (Tw) (S), for the top bull price of $9000.
The 19 month-old bull that was by Yambro Conrad B88 (P) and out of Bowmont Silver Q F011 (H), which later topped the female sale.
The young sire’s EBVs included 32kg for 200-day weight and +62kg for 400-day weight – with this figure for 400-day being in the top 10 per cent of the breed for 2015-drop calves.
He weighed 828kg and had the equal highest scrotal measurement of the sale draft at 43cm.
The Patons purchased another bull – also a Yambro Conrad son, out of a Bowmont Queen family cow for $7000.
Three bulls were equal second highest priced at $8500 – one young sire each was knocked down to Timberland Pastoral Co, also of Tallangatta South, and Gunyah Herefords, Cooma, NSW; and proven sire Allendale Waterford J172 (P) was sold to Stephen Beaton, Wootong Vale.
Volume bull buyers included Blackwell Pastoral, Dunkeld, which bought five bulls to $7000, av $5200; and K.J. Upton, Casterton, who bought four bulls to $5500, av $4500.
Mr King said he was very proud of the quality and even draft of sale bulls they had offered, and while the clearance was solid, the average price was lower than last year.