MORE than 60 years of top-quality breeding will be on offer at Cannawigra Poll Hereford stud's complete female sale on Monday, November 17.
Three generations have driven the stud forward since it was founded in 1950, breeding whiteface cattle which have performed in the showring and paddock.
The on-property sale at Avenue Range will comprise about 90 rejoined cows with four to six-month-old calves, and 30 yearling mated heifers.
Stud principals Katrina and David Copping acknowledge it is the end of an era.
"Running a stud is a huge commitment. We decided it was time to reassess what we were doing while we had a great group of cows to offer," Mrs Copping said.
The majority of the females will be under six years of age and have been rejoined to leading Australian and NZ sires as a result of a large AI program.
Among the AI sires expected to be a drawcard are Allendale Anzac H187, the equal top price bull at the 2014 Dubbo National Show & Sale; Monymusk Eiffel Tower, a NZ sire whose sons have sold to $33,000 this year; and Kidman Think Big, the $27,000 top price bull at Kidman in 2011.
"We have used new and proven sires with good, solid performance figures," David said.
Among the paddock joining sires are Centennial Horatio H033, a son of Allendale Anzac E114 and in the top 10 per cent for all Breedplan Indexes, and Cascade Fahey, a son of the 2008 Dubbo $32,000 high seller, Mountain Valley Rockyned.
There are also many influential sires running through the pedigrees of the females.
"The cows by Cannawigra Batman are an outstanding group of cows and have bred exceptionally well for us and the yearling heifers are a really nice group - probably one of the best lines we have bred since taking over the herd in 1999," Mrs Copping said.
"Many of the females are the dams or siblings of bulls sold in Cannawigra's successful on-property bull sale - either as part of the Limestone Coast Sale, with Markowen, or on their own in recent years.
Cannawigra is one of only a handful of Poll Hereford studs to hold a five-star Completeness of Performance rating with Breedplan.
The females are well above average for numerous traits after performance recording for about 30 years at the stud.
These figures have been used in conjunction with visual assessment to breed moderate frames with strong maternal and carcase attributes.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 9, 2014 issue.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
