THE Hayes family of Tarcombe Herefords in Ruffy were pleased their 41st annual production sale had the strongest results in many years.
Overall 24 of 37 bulls offered sold at an average of $3927.
The bull offering included 20 horned bulls, of which half sold to a top of $6250, av $3700.
Stud co-principal Tim Hayes said the family had introduced polled animals to the stud about seven or eight years ago and their polled lines had continued to improve and grow in popularity; with 14 of 17 polled bulls offered selling to the sale's top price of $6500, av $4089.
At 23 months of age, the sale topper was Tarcombe Dee J107 (P) weighed 858 kilograms and had a scrotal size of 41cm. The Wirruna Dee D147 (P) son, out of Tarcombe Cora G137 (H), has positive rib, rump and intramuscular fat estimated breeding values (EBVs).
He rated highly on market selection indexes with values of 93 for the Supermarket Index, 88 for Grass Fed Steer Index, 99 for Grain Fed Steer Index and 100 for EU Index.
Dee J107 was Ron Briggs, Everton Upper, only purchase for the day. Mr Briggs has been buying Tarcombe bulls for about 20 years and said Dee J107 appealed to him because of his well-balanced figures, good eye set and structure. He plans to join him to some of 140 Hereford breeders he runs, and said because of his low birth weight EBV of 3.8, Mr Briggs could use him over heifers too.
The female section of the Tarcombe sale continued strongly this year, with a total clearance of the 25 stud heifers offered, of which three had calves at-foot and the others were PTIC. The heifers sold to $1800, av $1600.
Tim's father Ron Hayes, who manages the stud with his son, said it was great to see a lot of return buyers from throughout Victoria, including the North East, Gippsland and the Western District, buying a few, and in some cases more, reasonably-priced heifers.
After missing the last few years' Tarcombe sales, Phillip Condon, Eskdale, bought the top-priced heifer Tarcombe Hilarity J079. Mr Condon liked the heterozygous polled heifer's size and said her calf at-foot by Wirruna Fort F382 was a "very nice calf". The unit and one other PTIC heifer Mr Condon secured for $1675, will join his 60 Hereford cows and calves, which he runs alongside a vealer operation of Angus-cross cows joined to Limousin bulls and a cattle fattening operation. He said he liked Tarcombe Herefords' performance and temperaments.
The sale's volume buyers included return client Alan Mitchell, South Gippsland, who bought six heifers, paying to $1600 five times, av $1575, and one bull at $3750.
Ron and Jan Hayes' daughter Cindy and her husband Frank Marshall also purchased seven heifers, paying to $1600 five times, av $1586, and one bull at $3000, to add to their growing commercial beef operation Springfield and Newry.
"We're more than happy with the sale result, it's the best we've done for a number of years," Jan Hayes said.
