AFTER hosting its inaugural special unmated female sale last season, Landmark has it back on the calendar and buyers won’t be disappointed with the line-up of heifers set to go under the hammer in 2019.
The date to mark on the calendar for Landmark’s South West Quality Unjoined Female Sale at Boyanup is Thursday, January 17, 2019.
The sale will feature an impressive line-up of about 400 first-cross and 300 beef heifers from vendors across the South West.
In the beef line-up Angus heifers will fill the majority of the pens, but there will also be a good line-up of Red Angus, Gelbvieh and Poll Herefords being targeted for the sale.
Landmark South West livestock manager Matt Watts said the sale would feature an excellent line-up of first-cross and straight-bred beef heifers.
“The first-cross yarding will consist of bucket-reared and predominantly vendor bred heifers which will range in age from eight to 20 months meaning there will be a wide selection for intending purchasers depending on their individual needs,” Mr Watts said.
“The majority of these heifers will be trucked in from South West dairy operations and will be first-cross Angus and Murray Grey-Friesian.
“The straight-bred beef offering will be of high end quality as they will be vendor’s annual drafts, who have held them over for this prestigious sale.
“These owner-bred heifers will all weigh more than 320kg and will suit grower’s target joining weights for the common mating season of May-August.”
All heifers on offer will be inspected and selected for quality, femininity, temperament and structure to ensure they are suitable future breeders for intending purchasers.
Buyers will not only be able to buy the future breeders with confidence when it comes to their quality, but they will also be able to purchase in terms of certainty when it comes to pregnancy and health status, as all the heifers will be veterinary checked non-detectably pregnant and suitable to breed.
Also like all other Landmark South West female sales all the heifers will be ear-notched and tested Pestivirus free prior to the sale.
For buyers looking for first-cross heifers, there will be something to suit all requirements, due to the large age range in the heifers on offer.
One of the biggest lines of first-cross heifers will come from Andrew Blackburn, H & JB Blackburn, Cookernup.
The quality line of 70 Angus-Friesian heifers from the Cookernup operation are sure to impress buyers and will be ready to join.
The very quiet, big, roomy black beauties were purchased in as younger cattle from reputable South West producers and grown out specifically for this fixture and come sale day they will be 18-20mo.
The heifers have been drenched and treated with 7in1 plus Vitamin B12 and selenium.
Busselton operation AC & CA Jenkins will be the largest vendor in the sale with 51 heifers aged 16-18mo and 48 heifers aged 10-12mo.
The line of Angus-Friesian heifers are sired by Blackrock, Lawsons and Ardcairnie Angus bulls and have had a drench and their 7in1 treatment.
Regular vendors of first-cross heifers the Scott family, Tasca Holdings, Gundagai dairy, Elgin, will also be one of the bigger vendors with an offering of 50 heifers.
The Angus-Friesian heifers from Tasca Holdings are sired by Cherylton Angus bulls and have been bred and reared in the operation’s dairy, which is milking 1000 cows.
The extremely quiet, bucket-reared heifers will be ready to mate as they will be about 18-20mo and had all the health treatments come sale time.
The Neill family, Laureldene, Boyanup, which are also regular vendors of unmated first-cross, will again be represented in the sale with a line of 35 Angus-Friesian, owner-bred heifers.
The bucket-reared heifers, which will be 18mo at sale time, are out of the operation’s outstanding herd of 300 Friesian cows and sired by Cherylton Angus bulls.
When it comes to health treatments the heifers are up to date with their 7in1 doses and drenchs.
Another sizable line of owner-bred heifers will come from Brunswick operation V & G Ieraci & Sons, which will present 35 Angus-Friesian heifers.
The heifers, which will be 16-20mo at sale time, are sired by Carenda Angus bulls.
Also presenting Angus-Friesian, owner-bred heifers of a similar age will be SJ & RM Piggott & Son, Harvey.
The Piggotts’ offering will consist of 15 heifers aged 16-18mo.
At the other end of the age scale will be a line of 65 Angus-Friesian, owner-bred heifers aged 6-12mo from Charlie and Lauren Italiano and family, C & L Italiano, Harvey.
The very quiet, bucket-reared heifers are out of the Italiano family’s dairy operation in which they are currently milking 220 Holstein Friesians based on Strathavon bloodlines.
The heifers are sired by Mordallup Angus blood bulls and after having come through a dry autumn and wet winter they are now going ahead in leaps and bounds and are set to present well on sale day.
In terms of health treatments they have been drenched and have had a 7in1 and Vitamin B12 and Selenium treatments.
Along with the run of unmated first-cross heifers in the sale there will also be a top quality line-up of unmated beef heifers.
One of the largest vendors in this run will be South West Pastoral, Pinjarra, with 40 purebred Angus heifers from its breeding herd of 300 Angus breeders.
Like previous years the quality of the South West Pastoral heifers can’t be questioned and they will once again be on the top of the list of many buyers.
The February/March 2018-drop calves are based on Gandy (Diamond Tree) and Mordallup Angus bloodlines and will be a top draft of selected heifers the operation will sell this season as in previous years.
The classy black heifers were weaned in early November and at weaning received 7in1, Vitamin B12 and selenium and Eprinex.
Boyup Brook operation Springhills Estate will also be a sizeable vendor in the beef run with an offering of 40 Angus heifers from its well-bred herd.
The operation focuses on using high-end genetics to improve the quality and performance of its breeding herd.
The owner-bred heifers is based on Blackrock and Koojan Hills Angus bloodlines and will be the operation’s first draft of heifers to be sold for the season.
Another highly regarded line of Angus heifers will be offered by Gandy Timbers, Manjimup.
The Manjimup operation is expected to present 20 purebred Angus heifers based on Diamond Tree and Gandy Angus bloodlines.
The March/April drop calves will be weaned for a couple of weeks prior to the sale and like in previous years their quality won’t disappoint.
For producers looking for British breed heifers which aren’t black then a line of 40 Poll Herefords from Dinninup operation Forrest View Poll Herefords could be the answer.
The heifers, which will be 9-10mo, are all out of cows based on Marwarra and Sevenbardot bloodlines purchased in from Mt Riddock station, Alice Springs, Northern Territory and sired by quality WA-bred Poll Hereford bulls.
The operation is currently running 500 mated cows this year and has built its herd up after purchasing in cows from Mt Riddock station over a three year period starting in 2015.
Forrest View aims to breed a powerful, medium to large frame cow which is capable of producing calves that will perform in the feedlot.
All females in the sale will be tagged with Landmark management sale tags, with lot/pen number and individual number displayed on the front of the tag, for ease of identification for buyers in future years.
Prospective buyers will also be able to view videos of the heifers on offer in the sale closer to the sale on YouTube by searching ‘Landmark Livestock’.