Calves drop to 2022's top selling sires

The Whitechurch family of 4 Ways Charolais, Inverell, NSW, purchased Moongool Revolution R254E for an Australian breed record of $265,000 from the Price family, Yuleba, at their on-property bull sale last September.

Amy Whitechurch said the sire arrived two weeks after the sale and initially went into a herd of 50, 4 Ways Charolais cows for natural joining. He has since been with another 40 females.

Their first calf arrived last week out of 4 Ways Refine 54, who is part of the family line that won grand champion Charolais female at last week's Royal Queensland Show.

"There are now eight heifers and two bull calves already on the ground," she said.

"The calves are born moderate in size, have good skin, strong heads, stylish, thick and structurally sound.

"We bought him on his pedigree and he is full French so it's new genetics and he can be joined with any animal in our herd, which is a big bonus for us.

"We've got a little red factor female and she was one of the first ones born so we can't wait to see what she does too."

Meanwhile, the first drop from the $250,000 Australian-record Santa Gertrudis, Yarrawonga S316, which sold to RL Pastoral Company Pty Ltd and NIOA Pastoral Co, Allora, in September have also hit the ground.

Rob Sinnamon of RL Pastoral company said they conducted an IVF program with the sire as soon as they purchased him, alongside their $160,000 Riverina Roland Sanchez R88.

"They're literally calving as we speak with the first of our IVF program that we conducted," Mr Sinnamon said.

"We have a number of females that were artificially inseminated to the Yarrawonga S316 bull as well, that will begin to calve at the end of the month.

"We're looking at about 190 calves between those two bulls that we hope to see born over the next six to eight weeks.

"We're very excited with the the indications of the first calves born on the quality so far, with a bull and a heifer calf born in the last couple of days."

One of the top selling $200,000 bulls at last October's Brahman Week Sale, Fairy Springs Capitalist 6179, was sold to Rockley Brahmans, Moura, and Elmo Brahmans, Baralaba.

Rockley stud principal Ashley Kirk said they recently had their first Capitalist-sired heifers born with IVF calves due in two weeks time.

"We're a little excited about them," Mr Kirk said.

"We've got about a dozen due through our IVF program as well as some more natural ones coming along now. The first calves look promising and they've got the right skin type."

Unfortunately, Capitalist suffered three day sickness and despite efforts to save him, he is now deceased.

"We initially collected semen from him right after Brahman Week, so we're lucky to have some semen in the tank to be able to have it at our disposal for when we want and continue his bloodline," Mr Kirk said.

The other $200,000 Fairy Springs Royal Flush 6123 sold to Jomanda Brahmans, Clarenza, NSW and Ooline Brahmans, Goovigen.

Colin Johnson of Jomanda said they were still awaiting their first calves.

"We are all very eager to see them. Ooline, who we bought the bull with, have started to get theirs and said they look good," he said.