Near total clearance of cows and calves in Haven Grove Hereford dispersal

Haven Grove Hereford stud's online herd dispersal sale saw a near total clearance of the cows and calves this week.

A total of 23 cows and spring-drop calves from the 24 units offered sold for an average of $2800 and to a top of $4200.

There were also pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) heifers, maiden heifers, bulls and semen packages auctioned in the sale, with 52 lots in total.

Haven Grove stud principal Ben Valentine, Carlsruhe, said it was a sad day to see his top cattle go elsewhere but he was delighted to see plenty of interest.

The sale saw a mix of interstate stud and commercial buyers, with the majority of the cattle heading to northern Victoria, and smaller numbers to the western district, Wagga Wagga, NSW, and Mount Gambier, SA.

The top-priced cow, Wirruna Cora R097, and her bull calf, Lot 13, was sold to Marie Brown, Rochester.

Mr Valentine said the cow had a "great dataset".

The August 2020-drop cow was sired by Limehills Starter 160062 and out of Wirruna Cora L450.

The second top-priced cow and calf, Lot 21, sold for $3300 to Winklewood Hereford stud principal Geoffrey Wood, Mount Gambier.

Mr Wood also purchased the top-priced semen package in the sale, nine straws from bull Kairuru Aberdeen 030047 for $65 a straw.

The two top-priced PTIC heifers, lots 30 and 31, sold for $2000 to a commercial buyer at Wagga Wagga.

The sole bull to be sold from the four offered went to Pakenham Poll Herford stud principal Paul Weston, Pakenham, for $3000.

The September 2023-drop bull was sired by Koanui Techno 3062 and out of Warwick Court Maritana Q132.

Mr Valentine had recently taken on more work off-farm and therefore, had less time to manage the stud, leading to the dispersal.

While he grew up with Hereford cattle, he had only bought his first commercial cows in 2017 and the stud was started in 2020.

"I think it was a good sale considering we had just started out," he said.

Mr Valentine said he had aimed to breed Hereford cattle with high growth and easy calving traits, as well as high intramuscular fat.

He had only kept 5 per cent of the bulls born each year and had been selling these privately over recent years.

"Overall, the Haven Grove cattle were quiet tempered cattle with easy doing ability through hard times," he said.

Elders Kyneton branch manager Dean Coxon said the cattle had a lot of feed put into them over the winter, and Mr Valentine had turned them out well for sale.

"[The cows] are really on the do and they've got lovely little calves on them," Mr Coxon said.

He said Mr Valentine had wanted to sell the cattle earlier in the year but by holding on until now, there was better demand due to the improvement in the season.

"He's certainly seen the benefit of it," he said.