WA Poll Hereford genetics are set to make their mark in the Eastern States with six heifers from the House Poll Hereford stud, College Grove, recently heading to New South Wales breeders.
House stud principal John House said he was delighted that his genetics were on the radar of Eastern States breeders.
“It is very pleasing to have these heifers attract interest from the Eastern States studs and shows our breeding program is heading in the right direction,” Mr House said.
One of the heifers headed to the Eastern States is House Mary L4, which was traded to Wirruna Poll Herefords, which runs a 600-head stud cow herd based at Holbrook, NSW, where it will be used as donor dam in the operation.
Mary L4 is by Allendale Anzac E114, sire of the $110,000 bull sold by the well-known Injemira stud last year, and out of Mount Difficult Mary F3, the top-priced female at the Mount Difficult clearance sale.
Mr House said dollar indexes were a summary of genetic merit for specific production systems expressed in dollar terms and Mary L4 had the highest Supermarket Dollar Index, equal highest Grass Fed Dollar Index, highest EU Dollar Index and was in the top six females for Grainfed Dollar Indexes for the Poll Hereford breed.
Mary L4 was exchanged for access to two Wirruna females for specific ET flushing to suit the House breeding program.
Another young female to go to the east was House Isabel M16, which was sold to well-known Yavenvale Herefords, Adelong, NSW, which runs a 1000-head stud cow herd.
Mr House said Isabel M16 was a daughter of KCF Bennett Revolution X51, a bull recognised as a world leader multi-trait sire and clearly superior for muscling in particular.
“Her dam is Merrina Z32 Isabel D46 has bred multiple-trait leader Merrina 3152 Crackerjack G20, among others,” Mr House said.
“Progeny of Revolution X51 and Isabel D46 are at the very top of the breed for all three growth EBVs, carcase weight, eye muscle area and dollar indexes, as well as having positive fats, high intramuscular fat and good milk.”
Yavenvale decided to purchase Isabel M16 because it was attracted to its extremely high performance and impressive phenotype.
Four other House heifers went to Randoo, based at Warialda, NSW.
They included two full sisters to Isabel M16, along with House Mia M15, which was sired by Harvie High Roller and out of Mount Difficult Mia E91.
Mr House said High Roller was a US national junior champion which produced extra thickness and substance in its progeny and Mia E91 had the highest grassfed dollar index for the breed for a number of years, recently surpassed by House Mary L4.
“Mia M15 has very balanced and high EBVs as well as dollar indexes except for a slightly below average mature cow weight, which some would argue only enhances her value,” he said.
Randoo also purchased House Miranda L5, a particularly eye catching female by Wirruna Explorer and out of Mount Difficult Miranda E115.
Miranda E115 is the dam of House H1 Millionaire M27, a son of Morganvale Furness that the stud will be retaining.
Mr House said he had been very pleased with the Furness cattle which had bred very well for him.
“Millionaire M27 was bred to go over the NJW 73S M326 Trust 100W embryo daughters purchased from Canada,” he said.
“Trust 100W was All Breeds Champion at the US National and has the second highest muscle line behind Revolution X51 in the breed.”
Mr House said Randoo principal Ted Stubbins had a background in sheep breeding focused on sheep that perform in his country and a similar process has been followed with the cattle, only recently adding a selection of high indexing females.