The Locke family of Wirruna Poll Herefords at Holbrook are well established as a supplier of Poll Hereford genetics to commercial beef producers, well known for their high level of performance recording and superior genetics with breed leading calving ease, fertility, muscle and carcase quality. “We offer bulls that can significantly improve the economic returns of the beef producing client”, Ian Locke said, “on the carcase side, this includes being the highest marbling Hereford herd in Australia”.
An exciting feature of the line-up of sale bulls for Wirruna Autumn Sale to be held on 9th March 2022 is that there will be two Herefords Australia Ltd (HAL) Super Sires to be offered in the sale.
Lot 1-Wirruna Qantas Q036 (HAL SUPER SIRE)
Lot 6- Wirruna Quarterback Q281 (HAL SUPER SIRE)
The HAL Super Sires program was established in 2018 with the first ‘Super Sire’ selected was Wirruna Matty M288. The aim of the program has been to profile young sire candidates that expressed a balance of favourable traits at the highest level to encourage and accelerate genetic progress in the Hereford Breed and better engage with the commercial beef industry with industry relevant genetics. Matty has since gone on to have many thousands of commercial progeny, and over 1,000 recorded progeny analysed with BREEDPLAN©. He is a breed trait leader for short gestation length and marbling.
To be a Super Sire, Herefords Australia (HAL) have set strict criteria of traits and recording standards that are inspirational for the breed (and breeders) and generate a list of candidate bulls twice yearly that meet these specifications– breeders of candidate sires that meet those criteria can nominate one bull to be a “Super Sire” in each run.
Wirruna nominated Wirruna Quarterback Q281 in June 2021 and more recently nominated Wirruna Qantas Q036 in December. “These bulls represent the emphasis of traits I am trying to drive in our herd”, Ian Locke said, “High calving ease Bulls with curve bending growth, high fertility, and strong carcase traits, particularly marbling. Their Profit EBVs, the $Index values, rank well within the top 1% of the breed.”
These Super Sires will be available for inspection at the Beef Week Open Day on the 27th January 2022. Along with 70 other sale bulls and a selection of PTIC females for sale. This represents a great opportunity to preview sale stock before our 9th March Autumn Sale.
In conjunction with Rennylea Angus, Wirruna Poll Herefords are co-hosting a Holbrook Beef Genetics Update on 16th-17th February 2022. “It has been too long since we have got excellent scientists and practitioners in the same room as our beef breeding clients”, Ian Locke commented. “We have long recognised that the key issues facing cattle breeders are across breeds, and with Rennylea Angus, we have an informative conference planned.
Registration for the Holbrook Beef Genetics Update is essential, and numbers are limited for the dinner. For details see the Wirruna Poll Herefords website. www.wirruna.com.