Ironbark Hereford sale attracts loyal support for $7445 average

The Spencer family cleared 92 bulls to average $7445 and top at $26,000, a major lift from their 2019 results.

Stud principal Adrian Spencer predicted about 95 per cent of the buyers were repeat clients who knew the cattle's performance.

"They are cattle that breed their type and they are strong breeding bulls," he said.

"They put them out into any environment and I think people on the big stations know they are fit fertile bulls and they don't break down. We don't over feed them so they are fit fertile cattle that do the job.

"In an environment where the cow numbers are low I think it was a very strong sale."

The draft of P and N bulls averaged 28 months, 624 kilograms with a 97 square centimetre eye muscle area and 5.5 per cent intramuscular fat.

Fresh off their Ekka prime cattle champion steer win Noel and Liz Cook, Kindon Station, Goondiwindi, Qld, made their presence known early and again paid the $26,000 top for the first lot of the day, Ironbark Black Hawk P262, who took their eye straight away.

The 29-month-old high growth bull out of a Victory Blend cow weighed 702 kilograms with a 107 square centimetre eye muscle area and 6.5 per cent IMF.

While they only intended on buying one sire, they paid $22,000 straight after for the lot 82 bull who was pushed up the catalogue order.

His deep cherry colour and conformation of Ironbark Black Hawk N622 won over Ms Cook and so they decided to add the high indexing bull to their sire battery.

The Cooks, who have been buying at Ironbark for 18 years, run a Hereford herd at Kindon Station but also have a 6000 head feedlot arm to their business.

Mr Cook said their new sires would be joined to a select mob of cows to breed bulls for their own use.

"The cattle do well in our country and they handle the drier conditions well, that's what we really like about them," he said.

"We get great weight for age out of them going to the feedlot."

The catalogue offered plenty of affordability too with the team from Emu Park, Deniliquin, taking home an Ironbark Twister son with strong growth and eye muscle area EBVs and a Southern Self-Replacing index of +$142.

Manager Dylan Keel said they were looking for a soft type with good eyes for the cattle, sheep and cropping operation.

Running about 300 head of Herefords, they turn off yearling cattle and knew the Ironbark cattle would work.

A large order from loyal clients Australian Food and Ag was very beneficial with nine bulls averaging $5666 heading to Boonoke Station, Deniliquin, and nine bulls equaling out at $5555 average to Wingadee, Coonamble.

Repeat clients Narra Pastoral, Tasmania, weren't afraid to pay to the top end of the market for their 11 bulls, which averaged $10,000.

Charlie Hart of Hart Rural Agencies operated on their behalf and paid up to $20,000 for a 31-month-old son of Avignon Tru Grit L901 who was in the top 10 per cent for growth traits and came from the Ironbark D225 Minerva L269 performance cow with a milk figure of +23.

Ellerston Station, Scone, have secured large orders at a number of Hereford sales this year and topped up their sire battery with 10 bulls averaging $10,000.

BPT and Sons, Bingara, made a late dash and began putting together a draft of nine bulls starting from lot 77 all for $5000.

Six head purchased by Golden Ag Pty Ltd, Taroo, Collarenebri, averaged $6333 while a George and Fuhrmann client wasn't far behind with five head all purchased for $5000 and one at $6000.

Bando Pty Ltd, Mullaley along with Hicks Herefords, Running Creek, Victoria, and SG and JM Hicks, Glen Creek, Victoria, all ended up with four bulls each.

Selling agents were Elders, Hart Rural Agencies, Nutrien Livestock and George and Fuhrmann with Paul Dooley as auctioneer.

Read the full report in The Land next week.