Woonallee female, genetics sale reaches $26k online

Woonallee Simmentals, Furner, held an online-only female and genetics auction on Friday, hosted on Elite Livestock Auctions.

In the breakdown, nine unjoined apricot Simmentals sold to $23,000, averaging $14,083; 10 pregnancy-tested in-calf black Simmental heifers sold to $20,000, averaging $12,550; 14 unjoined black Simmental heifers topped at $15,000, averaging $7750; five embryo packages of five embryos each reached $2500, twice, averaging $1140 an embryo; and 16 packages of 10 semen straws reach $480, averaging $245 a straw.

The $23,000 price was paid for Woonallee Kathie S241, an April 2021-drop polled daughter of Sibelle Dirty Harry 25Z and Woonallee Kathie G73, as part of a pick of the pair.

It was won by Hartfield Simmentals, Sutton Forest, NSW, among the stud's string of purchases.

The same buyer also picked up the top price PTIC black Simmental female at $20,000 for Woonallee Messiah daughter Woonallee Pear R264.

The 2020-drop homozygous polled female is PTIC to Woonallee Nobel Prize Q368.

Continuing the buying spree, the stud also picked up Lot 19 at $13,000; Lot 19 at $15,000 and Lot 31 at $11,000, for an overall average $16,400, as well as two semen packages, averaging $3350.

Another open apricot heifer selling well was Lot 32, Woonallee Ella S197, which was bought at $21,000 by Cody Smoothy, Crows Nest, Qld.

Also selling at $20,000 was Lot 27, Woonallee Polly S066, which was snapped up by Regan Burow, Yerwal Estate, Lucindale.

Max Hall, Marungi, Vic, picked up one of the top price embryo packages for a "blend of the old and the new" - combining 2015-drop Woonallee Kathie L125 and Seigfried, a 1971-drop bull that remains a trait leader for scrotal size and days to calving.

The other $2500 package was bought by Sally Coulton, Gravesend, NSW, for Woonallee Polly N126 and Shamrock.

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The top price semen package of a newly-acquired New Zealand sire Kerrah G732 went to Graham Larke, Ravenswood, WA.

Other notable sales was a the option to select a heifer from the herd to flush, which sold at $16,500, and the option to select a T-drop heifer calf, which made $26,000, both to undisclosed buyers.

Woonallee co-principal Tom Baker said the sale, which was set up to mark the family's 50 year involvement in the Simmental breed, was "outstanding".

He said they chose an online auction to allow people nationally to bid.

"Since COVID, people are fully au-fait with doing to research online and bidding online," he said.

He said the results were in part to the positive state of the cattle industry at large.

"It was an outstanding result, but it was a reflection of an outstanding group of females and genetics, which were well received," he said.