Morganvale heifers and bulls attract strong stud and commercial interest
A significant offering of bred-in-the-purple Poll Hereford heifers attracted widespread interest at Morganvale's bull and heifer sale at Willalooka on Tuesday.
Morganvale stud principal Allan Morgan said with plans to downsize their beef herd and introduce shedding sheep into the mix, it was the right time to offer the future breeders.
Of the 117 heifers, March to September 2024, and July to September 2023-drops, 65 sold to a top of $8500 and an average of $3534.
Those that were unsold will be retained by Morganvale.
In the bull sale that acted as a prelude this year, Morganvale enjoyed an improved result in comparison to 2025, with 22 of 36 bulls sold to an $18,000 top and $9454 average.
Last year, 12 of 36 bulls sold to a top of $17,000, and an $8792 average.
Strong during the heifer portion of the sale was western Vic father and daughter Dean and Diana Wheaton, Wheaton Farms.
Farming across Telopea Downs, Yanac South and Broughton, north of Kaniva, the Wheatons run a mixed beef, sheep and cropping enterprise, with Poll Herefords bred on sandy Telopea country.
Having acquired some more land in the district, the Wheatons bought 25 Morganvale heifers in total, averaging $3490, with Dean saying it was a rare chance to buy heifers of that calibre to add to their herd.
They selected heifers that are due to calve in the mid-April to end of May period.
The Wheatons feedlot their own calves - 500 this year - and sell them through the Coles Feedlot program.
They also breed their own bulls, with top Hereford sires like Injemira Robert Redford and Fortune, and Days Godfather used in their AI program.
"We've been AI'ng for that many years and we consider our Hereford cows that good, but to increase our numbers quickly for another farm we've bought we've got to buy," Mr Wheaton said.
"We've picked out ones that are going to calve at a time that suits us."
As well as top commercial producers, Morganvale also had stud buyers operate including Days Whiteface, Bordertown, and Taronga, Paschendale, Vic.
Making the top money at $8500 was lot 129, Morganvale Lady Almond V281, paid by Southern Grampians Livestock account Tee Jay Livestock.
The June 2024-drop AI-bred heifer, sired by Wirruna Querido Q266 and out of Morganvale Lady Almond P356, is due to calve in mid-April to mid-May, being pregnancy-tested-in-calf to Yavenvale Sylvester S422.
The heifers estimated breeding values caught the eye, ranking in the top 10 per cent of the breed in calving ease, birth weight, milk, carcase weight, eye muscle area, rib fat, rump fat and intramuscular fat.
Buyers were selective on the bull draft, with 14 passed in, but were willing to bid up on their favourites.
Lot 2, Morganvale Victory V76, was knocked down to long-time buyers Henty-Anderson Partnership, Henty, Vic, for $18,000.
Targeting the Hamilton weaner sales each year, the outfit has been buying at Morganvale for well over a decade.
Their April 2024-drop selection was sired by Wirruna Querido Q266 and out of Morganvale Lydia N185, with EBVs in the top 15pc for 200 and 400-day weight, plus EMA and IMF figures in the top 2pc.
The sale also saw the first sons of Injemira Robert Redford - a heifer joining specialist - sold, with the four sons sold averaging $13,250.
Morganvale stud principal Allan Morgan was satisfied with the results of the improved bull sale and the heifer proceedings, saying he was always going to be happy to sell half of the offered heifers at the $3000 base price or above.
"We had from stud buyers to strong commercial buyers, and they went far and wide," he said.
"It was evident in the heifers that the ones with breedplan figures helped. The ones with good eye muscle and IMF were a bit dearer."
