Southern Cross sons twinkle brightly in Days families' bull sale

Some outstanding sons of Tobruk Southern Cross S15 left their mark on Allendale and Days Whiteface stud's 27th annual Poll Hereford bull sale at Bordertown, topping both vendors' offerings.

Lachy and Lou Day who bought the record-priced Poll Hereford yearling for $91,000 in 2022 recouped plenty of their investment including a $28,000 sale high.

This came at lot 10, Days Optimist U065- an excellent carcase bull that had been used over Days Whiteface's heifers.

The May 2023 drop ranked in the top 10 per cent for growth traits at +51,200 day weight through to +112 at 600 day weight and was in the top 20pc for the MSA Production Index and Sustainability Production Index.

"He is a bull with a lot of presence and unbelievable muscle presence, he visually exhibits his EMA figure of +7.8 which is right up there for the breed,'' Lachy said.

The successful buyer was Phoebe Farrell, Ashmore Farms, Woolsthorpe, Vic.

Ashmore Farms has previously bought from the Day families but she said she came to the sale looking specifically at Southern Cross sons to breed bulls for their self-replacing commercial Hereford herd.

"He was the standout, his figures really suited us, we do a heavy steer job and finish our steers for processing he will add a lot of value to our herd," she said of the sale topper.

Ashmore Farm bought another Southern Cross son- lot 26, Days Jigsaw U101, for $18,000 and lot 19, Allendale Law Maker U037, an Injemira Robert Redford son for $6000.

Overall 29 of 33 Southern Cross sons sold during the auction for a $9690 average.

This also included the $16,000 highest-price lot from the Alastair and Jayne Day's Allendale stud.

They also used Southern Cross semen in their herd.

Lot 3, Allendale Parachilna U036 was snapped up by Scott and Fleur Harlock, Harlock Pastoral, Bool Lagoon.

The stud had rated the low birth weight bull highly using him on stud heifers.

"He is very correct and has positive fat," Alastair said.

The absence of pastoral buyers from central Australia and western NSW who often put a floor in the sale with volume orders was missed.

This provided opportunities for the 31 registered bidders in the stands and others on AuctionsPlus from King Island, Tas to Kyneton, Vic.

In the breakdown 52 bulls sold of 77 offered from the two studs for a $8903 average.

This average was actually up on 2024's result where 77 of 85 bulls averaged $8480.

The sale's volume buyer was Okeview Farms, Hunter Valley, NSW, who put together 10 bulls for a $10,200 average.

They opened their account with lot 1, Allendale Pendlebury U041 which they paid $12,000 for and continued bidding until securing lot 84, Days Outlaw U149 for $6000.

Long-time supporters, GA Young & Sons, Kalangadoo, made the most of the value with six bulls, five of which sold at the $6000 base price.

Many of those who had supported the Days Whiteface mature cow dispersal the previous sale returned for the bull sale including New Zealand breeders the Murray family, Matariki stud, Kaikoura.

After securing the $17,000 sale topping female.they bought a son- lot 12, Days Joker U090 for $14,000.

"Once we saw this bull we knew we had to have the female, 80 to 90 per cent of the job is about the female and she had the great structure and maternal performance we are looking for," James Murray said.

This time instead of going head to head with Norm Smith, Furner, who was the underbidder they bought the lot 12 bull in partnership.

Alastair Day said they would have liked to have sold more bulls but acknowledged it had been a challenging season locally.

"You always hope for a bit better clearance but we are lucky to have the buyers come and operate on our bulls," he said.

"We are already looking to next year and breeding an even better group of bulls

Lachy was pleased to see clients willing to spend up on their pick bulls with 16 five-figured bulls in the sale and a few first time buyers

"We knew we were missing pastoral support so we knew we would have plenty of bulls," he said.

Nutrien SA stud stock manager Gordon Wood said buyers had the opportunity to pick up genetics at great value.

He had high praise for the pedigree and data of cattle and said it would be a struggle to "find better performance in Hereford cattle anywhere in the world".

"They are stacked full of a heap of positive fat, a lot of eye muscle, a lot of calving ease and a lot of intramuscular fat which the breed identified as lacking in some time ago," he said.

"Lachy and Alastair have done a great job addressing this.

"Phenotypically you get here and there is plenty of frame, muscle and content in these cattle and an amazing temperament= they are so quiet."

Elders stud stock auctioneer Ross Milne said buyers could afford to be selective although "popular bulls still made good money" with plenty knocked down between $10,000 and $16,000 in the front end of the catalogue.

"The bulls presented well and good loyal clients got good value," he said.

Elders and Nutrien were joint selling agents.