Genetics

Angus heifer sets new all-breeds female record at $190,000

Jon Condon, 20/10/2017

PTIC heifer Millah Murrah Prue M4 (ET) sold for $190,000 yesterday to Brooklana Angus stud, Brooklana, after a torrid bidding duel involving three or four parties.

 

RECORDS fell like nine-pins at yesterday’s Millah Murrah Angus female sale near Bathurst, where an Australian all breeds registered female record was set at $190,000.

PTIC heifer Millah Murrah Prue M4 (ET) sold to Brooklana Angus stud, Brooklana, after a torrid bidding duel involving three or four parties.

The result eclipsed the previous all breeds registered female record of $160,000 set by a Poll Hereford female in 1990, and absolutely smashed the Angus registered female record price of $45,000 set at the Vermont Angus stud dispersal in 2010 at Penshurst VIC.

Click this link to access Beef Central’s definitive list of national breed record prices for bulls and females.

A second heifer offered in yesterday’s sale also eclipsed the old breed record, when Millah Murrah Prue H112 (ET) from the same flush made $54,000.

Yesterday’s Millah Murrah sale produced a 100 percent clearance for 250 females, with an average price of $13,790 – an Angus, and possibly all-breeds Australian record for a registered female sale.

The new record-setter, MM Prue M4 was sold PTIC to MM Proceed L237. She is from the first crop of daughters by WDCH249 Coonamble Hector H249, chosen by Millah Murrah for his muscle pattern and overall style.

His first sons proved extremely popular at the stud’s annual bull sale last month, where nine sons sold to $40,000, to average $18,677.

“Hector brings a totally different genetic line to the plate,” stud principal Ross Thompson said.

“His daughters are super feminine, beautifully made heifers, with lovely disposition. We have continued to use Hector quite heavily and will move onto one of our sons now to continue the line. He’ll have an excellent impact on our herd,” he said.

“I hate loading-up on a particular animal in case something goes wrong, but MM Prue M4 is one of the best animals we have ever bred,” Ross Thompson said in yesterday’s the sale catalogue.

“She is a magnificent specimen from all angles. Her mother is a massive volume donor cow with a good record. To date she has earned $7350 in embryo sales. Her three sons have been rock solid, averaging $12,000.”

“The maternal strength of the M4 pedigree is superb: Hector x Carbine x Woody W100 x Hingaia 469 – it is exotic and outcross, but they are proven cow lines over many years,” Mr Thompson said.

The record setter displayed an eye-catching and well-balanced set of BreedPlan EBVs, published below, save for some possible potential improvement in the intra-muscular fat number.

click on tables for a larger view

Against recent convention at Millah Murrah, the record-setting heifer was flushed once as a maiden for six A-grade embryos (with three pregnant recipients safely stored away), proving she can handle ET donor work.

“Phenotypically M4 is superb. Her body composition and structure is A1, her butt profile is amazing. All who have seen M4 have been noticeably taken with her. It is exciting to produce an animal of this calibre,” Mr Thompson’s catalogue commentary said.

“Breedplan is a great tool, but misunderstood”

Millah Murrah has been a disciplined participant in Group Breedplan for almost 30 years.

“It is a great tool, however we feel it is increasingly misunderstood and misused,” Mr Thompson said in yesterday’s catalogue.

“The ‘endless horizon’ pursuit of fancy numbers is not improving the efficacy of the breed. We use EBVs as they were intended: we find a sire which suits us on type, then examine the figures. We then find a way to introduce that animal into the herd, with cows that are likely to balance out the objective shortcomings,” he said.

“As a rule of thumb, our general target with EBVs is to keep abreast of the breed average or a little ahead. In this fashion, we have always felt that objectively, Millah Murrah cattle represent the breed as it sits today.”

 

  • Click here to view Beef Central’s comprehensive list of beef breed record prices for bulls and females.

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Comments

  1. Nick Burton Taylor, 21/10/2017

    A sale’s result that is an outstanding compliment to the whole Thompson Family who have broken free of the pack and forged a new approach to the Angus breed that has touched a populist chord. It represents a potential ‘ disruptor ‘ alternative to the stereotype approach of the Angus Society.
    Congratulations on carrying through with conviction and flair .

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