IT'S that time of year again to start thinking about sourcing your replacement breeders.
And what better place to start than the Elders Boyanup Supreme Springing Heifer Sale next month.
This year's sale will be held at the Boyanup sale yards on Friday, December 13, 2019, commencing at 11.30am.
The marquee sale has traditionally been the season opener for beef female selling and should be marked in all producers' calendars who are keen to source A-grade replacement first cross breeders for their vealer enterprises.
The sale catalogue will again feature quality first cross maiden females the fixture has built its reputation on over its extensive 29-year history.
To maintain this level of quality producers have come to expect from the fixture, the heifers continue to be handpicked from vendors' herds and the Elders South West team have nominated 656 PTIC first cross heifers this year.
Sale co-ordinators Michael Carroll and Robert Gibbings have placed paramount importance on quality control when inspecting and selecting the bucket-reared, first cross heifers.
With such high selection standards combined with the vendor guarantee on the heifers, buyers can rest assured of the product and buy their heifers with confidence.
All heifers in the sale are out of dairy dams and carry a vendor guarantee for a 10-week joining period and a maximum calving period of 12 weeks.
They are also pregnancy tested in calf by a veterinarian not before November 1 and are accompanied by a pregnancy certificate.
While a number of vendors have previously ear notch tested free their heifers from persistent infection (PI) of Pestivirus, for the second year in a row, all heifers have been ear notched.
Elders South West livestock manager Michael Carroll said this year's line-up of first cross heifers were superb in quality and look outstanding coming off the back of a season that started very late.
"The vendors have done an exceptional job of preparing the heifers especially for this sale and have set the standard for some really first class future breeders," Mr Carroll said.
"Calves are now being sold from cows and heifers purchased from previous Elders Supreme Heifer sales and are selling very well with decent weights and good returns.
"As always the Elders Supreme Springing Heifer sale comes with its guarantees for purchasers including all heifers are PTIC with a maximum 12-week calving period giving buyers confidence when selecting and purchasing heifers in this sale.
"And several vendors this year have treated their heifers with 7in1 and Pestigard giving purchases further assurance."
This year's catalogue will consist of 549 Angus-Friesian heifers, 48 Hereford-Friesian heifers, 32 Murray Grey-Friesian heifers, 21 Murray Grey-Aussie Red heifers and six Simmental-Friesian heifers, all AI or naturally mated to Angus or Limousin sires.
Making up 84 per cent of the total catalogue, Angus-Friesian heifers will again dominate the yarding with 13 vendors set to offer 549 heifers.
Original sale vendors Michael and Loretta Roberts and family, KS & EN Roberts & Son, Elgin, will offer the largest individual draft of heifers at the sale.
The Roberts family is a renowned producer of mated first cross heifers and will offer a total draft of 210 quality heifers.
The draft will consist of mainly Angus-Friesian heifers with 147 nominated while the balance is made up of 34 Hereford-Friesian, 23 Murray Grey-Friesian and six Simmental-Friesian heifers.
The Roberts heifers had been carefully sourced from local South West dairies for shape, frame, type and temperament and are all mated to Limousin sires.
Featuring in the Roberts' draft is a selection of synchronised AI mated heifers giving buyers the opportunity to select heifers with a tighter 20-day calving period.
The 83 PTIC Angus-Friesian are synchronised AI mated to the proven Limousin bull Unison Gong G31 and due to calve from January 20 to February 9 for 20 days while the family's Hereford, Murray Grey and Simmental-Friesian heifers were synchronised AI mated and backed up to Limousin bulls and due to calve from January 20 to March 31, 2020.
The Roberts family's other 64 PTIC Angus-Friesian were naturally joined to Limousin sires and are due to calve from February 10 to March 31 in a seven week calving.
The heifers have been pregnancy tested by Darren Clews, Complete Cattle Scanning, with an ultrasound and the Roberts have a J-BAS 8 accreditation.
They have also been treated twice with Pestigard and Ultravac 7in1 in early January and February and drenched with Cydectin Pour On in September 1.
Lyndon and Elizabeth Crouch, LM & EA Crouch, Nannup, are also prominent vendors at the sale with a total draft of 104 first cross heifers.
The Crouch consignment consists of 60 Angus-Friesian, 14 Hereford-Friesian, nine Murray Grey-Friesian and 21 Murray Grey-Aussie Red heifers.
All the Crouch heifers were purchased as unmated heifers and prepared and joined especially for the sale at their J-BAS 8 accredited property.
The heifers have been joined to Gandy Angus bulls and will calve for 12 weeks from January 16 to April 10.
They have been treated with Pestigard in early April and received B12 and selenium, along with an Eprinex drench in mid-March.
Keith and Alison Jilley, KL & AJ Jilley, Boyanup, will offer the next largest individual draft of heifers with 93 Angus-Friesian heifers nominated for this year's sale.
The Jilleys have been producing first cross heifers since 1973 with the former dairy farmers sourcing all their heifers from select dairy breeders throughout the South West at various unjoined first cross female sales.
They select a specific type of heifer from non-Jersey herds resulting in a big line of very even heifers presented at the sale from their J-BAS 8 accredited property
The Jilley's heifers were mated to Unison Limousin sires and have an 11-week calving period from February 1 to April 18.
The beautifully quiet, well grown heifers were ear notched, have been treated twice with Pestigard in early May and mid-June, vaccinated with 7in1 in early May and drenched with Eprinex in mid-June.
Sale vendors for 26 years, Bernard and Roma Ridley, BW & RB Ridley, Brunswick, will offer an annual consignment of 68 Angus-Friesian heifers.
The heifers have been joined to low birthweight Sheron Farms Angus bulls and are due to calve from January 28 to April 21.
The Ridley's property has a J-BAS 6 accreditation and the heifers received Pestigard twice in early March and April, vaccinated with 7in1 in early March and backlined drenched in early March and mid-September.
The Ridley's heifers were sourced from local dairies as unjoined heifers, both on-farm and at Boyanup sales.
The extremely quiet cattle are handled a lot during mating while there is a strong emphasis also placed on temperament when selecting the heifers.
RC & CD Barbetti & Sons, Waterloo, will offer a large draft of 64 Angus-Friesian heifers at the sale.
The owner-bred heifers are PTIC to Unison Limousin bulls and due to calve from January 31 to April 12 for a tighter calving period of 10 weeks.
The heifers from the J-BAS 6 accredited operation, have been treated with Pestigard and drenched following mating.
AJ Milner, Busselton, will offer 33 owner-bred Angus-Friesian heifers from their J-BAS 6 accredited dairy property.
The heifers are PTIC to Blackrock Angus bulls and due to calve for 10 weeks from January 21 to March 31.
Candyup Farms, Benger, has nominated 32 Angus-Friesian heifers at the sale.
The heifers were synchronised mated on April 17 and backed up to Limousin bulls and are due to calve for 10 weeks from January 24 to April 4.
AD & RM Corker, Capel, will offer 18 Angus-Friesian heifers PTIC to a Limousin bull and due to calve for 11 weeks from February 24 while regular vendors NR Love & VJ Roche, Pemberton, will offer 11 Angus-Friesian heifers from their J-BAS 6 accredited property.
The heifers are PTIC to an Angus bull and due to calve from January 21 for a 12 week calving period.
Other Angus-Friesian heifer vendors in the sale include Braeside Farm, Coolup, Elgin Dairies, Elgin and Tarcunda Dairy, Coolup.
For information on the sale contact Elders South West livestock manager Michael Carroll on 0427 975 620.
