Stud buyers and commercial producers running black baldy operations were by no means stuck in the Walcha mud at the Yalgoo Poll Hereford sale on Monday and bid determinedly.
The Nivison family of Yalgoo Genetics offered an even line of Poll Hereford bulls displaying plenty of carcase attributes both phenotypically and on paper alongside ready-to-join heifers. Ivy Bank stud also offered five bulls during the sale.
In total 40 of 49 bulls sold to average $8400 and top at $20,000 while nine of 10 females averaged $4611 and hit a high of $8000.
Mike Wilson of Mike Wilson Stud Stock and Bloodstock successfully secured the top price bull for his clients Paul and Judy Sykes, Karoonda Park, Gelantipy, Victoria.
Two-year-old Yalgoo Monster P015 was a son of Churchill Kickstart 501C from Yalgoo Teresa M234 and was labelled a multi-use stud sire.
With breed indexes in the top one per cent and a calving ease estimated breeding value of +10.1 and 600-day weight of +108, Yalgoo believed it would be hard to find another sire option with leading indexes and phenotype to match.
Mr Wilson said his clients had previously purchased a Yalgoo sire three years ago and were extremely happy with his performance.
"They bought this bull to continue the Yalgoo line," he said.
"They find these bulls work well in the high country. He is a moderate but safe bull."
Losing bidder on the top sire was Tim Reid of JTR Cattle Co, Roslyn, who instead found success in the heifer section.
He paid the $8000 top price tag for Yalgoo Vanessa P122, a high growth Koanui Techno daughter who will be flushed in the future.
Mr Reid and his agent Tim Woodham, Nutrien, inspected the Yalgoo offering about a month ago and were impressed by the stylish feminine heifer.
"She is really good footed with the capacity and bit of frame," he said.
"No (I didn't stay in the budget) but I didn't want to let her go."
A $15,000 second top was paid by Scott and Pip Hann, Truro Whiteface, Bellata, and YavenVale Herefords, Adelong, for Yalgoo Peacemaker P034.
The "moderate tank" was a son of Hunter Lakes Lancelot from the Yalgoo Tigress cow and sat top 10 per cent for calving ease direct, gestation length, carcase weight, eye muscle area, retail beef yield, intramuscular fat and all indexes.
Mr Hann said the bull had one of the best sets of data he had seen along with being balanced, powerful and having a great phenotype.
Stud principal Jock Nivison was very happy with the result which was well up on the $6050 average last year.
"The evenness of the draft was something we got a lot of commentary on," he said.
"People can see where we are going with carcase. We put our hands up a long time ago to breed a lot of carcase into the Hereford cattle and we don't only want to see it in the paperwork but the cattle have got to express it themselves too.
"We want them versatile, marketable so they are ready for lots of different markets. Very happy with the amount of Hereford bulls going to black herds too. "
Repeat clients Romani Pastoral Co, Windy Station, Quirindi, held on to the bulk buyer sale status taking home 10 bulls to average $9100 and top at $14,000 to be used in their black baldy crossbreeding operation.
Brook Pastoral Company, Birdsville, Qld, reappeared on the northern Hereford sale run after buying up big a few weeks ago and secured four bulls to average $5000.
Locally at Guyra the Milparinka Pastoral Company purchased two bulls at $14,000 each.
The sale was conducted by Elders with Paul Dooley as auctioneer.
Read the full report in The Land this week.