THE Baker family, Woonallee, South Australia, has purchased an entire Victorian Black Simmental stud herd.
The Bakers bought the Webb Black Simmental herd, Glenburn, to expand their business enterprise.
Based at Glenburn, northeast of Melbourne, the Webb herd was one of the oldest - and most successful - Black Simmental studs in the country.
Established in 2006 by Phil Webb, from frozen embryos imported from Gateway Black Simmentals in the United States, the stud was renowned for breeding elite performance, easy doing, moderate framed and structurally sound cattle, full of red meat.
"We have always selected hard and culled anything not up to scratch," principal Phil Webb said.
Webb Black Simmentals was rewarded with a national auction record on-property bull prices; in 2011 at $15,500 (for Webb Enigma E323) and again in 2012 at $17,000 (for Webb Ironman F512).
Woonallee's purchase comprised 213 head of cattle, made up with 123 PTIC females, aged from two to eight years, 40 heifer calves, 47 bull calves and three stud sires, plus the complete inventory of 62 embryos of various genetic combinations.
The breeding females in the purchase were predominantly Black Simmentals, but included some SimAngus females.
Woonallee now had 180 cows, along with their 200 traditional Simmental females.
"Because of the growing demand for our black bull offering, it was clearly evident that we needed to grow the black side of our business, so after last year's sale we indicated to our Elders agents, in particular Ross Milne and Tom Dennis, to be on the lookout for expansion possibilities," Woonallee's Tom Baker said.
"This is the result of their search, but, from our point of view, it is an expansion of our overall program.
"In no way are we sacrificing our traditional Simmental program that continues to serve us so well.
"We are striving just as strongly as ever to keep improving our traditional Simmental offering
"We are just growing the Black Simmental component quicker than we could have achieved by within herd breeding from our previous breeding numbers."
He said the Webb Simmentals were an extremely efficient and sound herd, which would compliment t the Black program, established with Lewis Farms in Canada over the last five years.
Duncan Newcomen, who has managed and classed the Webb herd, said the owners had selected a line of females with unbelievable breeding strength and temperament from one of the best herds in the county.
He said the long term selection policy at Webb Black Simmentals had been based on putting more weight onto their weaner progeny.
"They are a terminal sire breed and an exceptionally good one at that," Mr Newcomen said.
"Phil is diversifying more into commercial production with Angus cows and first cross ewes, as he wants to lighten the workload and stress associated with running a big stud as he nears retirement."
Mr Baker said the purchase would allow Woonallee to offer 100 bulls at their next annual bull sale in February, most likely comprising 45 bulls from their strong and well established traditional Simmental program, and 55 from their now greatly expanded Black Simmental program.
