It was a good day in the office for the Locke family at Wirruna Poll Herefords. The highest number of registered bidders, their highest top price achieved and their 2nd highest sale average. The $7,610 sale average was up $1,500 on the last two sales. The sires experienced high demand averaging $15,063 with a mix of stud and commercial interest taking home the proven bulls utilised in the Wirruna breeding program. Giulford Poll Hereford Stud competed very strongly securing the top priced bull, a high $Index Jedi son. Yavenvale returned to buy Lot 8 for $15,000, and new client Carl Winter from Athol Qld purchased Lot 2 for $12,000. Other stud interest included Geoff Coghill, Ke Warra, and David Meikle, Tarwin who combined forces to buy Lot 11 for $8,000 in the growth bulls.
Strong commercial demand was noticed in the growth bulls, averaging a strong $8,250. Also there was a $2,150 lift in the average Heifer Bull price to $6,432 for this sale compared to the Autumn sale. This reflects the usual greater focus on and demand for calving ease traits in the southern Spring calving herds, compared to those that calve in the Autumn and source their bulls earlier in the year.
| Sale Date: | 23rd August 2017 (Bulls) | 23rd August 2017 (Indiv Female Lots) |
| No. Offered: | 61 | 15 |
| No. Sold: | 59 | 14 |
| Average Price: | $7,610 | $2,911 |
| Top Price: | $38,500 | $7,500 |
| Name of Top Price Animal: | Wirruna Legs L108 (Lot 3) | Wirruna Madam L301 (Lot 74) |
| Sire of Top Price Animal: | Tobruk Jedi | Tobruk Jedi |
| Purchaser of Top Price Animal: | Phillip Davie, Guildford Poll Herefords, TAS | Ron Lewington, “Gindalea”, Uranquinty, NSW |
The females again sold well with the individual lots averaging $2,911. Tarcombe bought two for $2,500, Yavenvale paid $5,000 for lot 67, another Jedi daughter, as was the highest priced female that sold for $7,500.
Principal of Wirruna Poll Herefords, Ian Locke, said he was delighted with the sale, especially the strong support from long term Wirruna clients and many new clients that are trying Wirruna genetics for the first time. “Auctions Plus is certainly an option being adopted by our clients and bringing in new buyers with 19 lots purchased on-line.” The true polled bulls (PP) made a premium of $579 over anything carrying the Horn gene (PH) which does demonstrate a higher level of demand for the genetic dehorners.