With their farm gate prices known, and a significant drop in milk price offered by most milk processors in Australia, buyers were looking for cows in-milk at the Faith dispersal sale, held at Koonwarra VLE on June 7.
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Also at the sale, a 10-year-old boy purchased his first dairy cow.
About 200 registered Jersey and commercial Holstein cows and heifers, all in calf and many to sexed semen, were on offer at the Gippsland sale.
The vendor, Vince Younger, has been a dairy farmer in the Goulburn Valley, western Victoria and Gippsland.
He sold most of his milking herd at the dispersal sale held at Koonwarra VLE on June 7, including his entire Jersey stud herd.
His remaining heifers will sell at a future sale.
Many of Vince Younger’s Jersey cows were bought at other sales, including a run of Cairnbrae in-calf cows that he purchased as heifers.
Top price of $4600 was paid for Warrain Jeronimo Roma 2, a rising-four-year-old cow due in September to Victorious.
She was purchased by Robert Salter and Danny Griffiths of Barringa Jerseys, Kerang, who were after an injection of proven genetics into the herd, to increase their milk solids production.
Robert and Danny purchased 10 in-calf stud Jersey cows at the sale.
Among their purchases were Warrain David Nellie for $4500, Apollo Love Lies 2 at $4000, Warrain Apollo Dream at $4000, and Cairnbrae Quins Melanie, for $4000.
Also among the volume buyers were Helena Brown, who purchased 13 Jersey cows, investing her own equity in the herd she milks for a dairy farmer at Jindavick.
Graeme Cochrane, from Barrengarry NSW, in the Kangaroo Valley, purchased several young cows, paying to a top of $4000 for Cairnbrae Bernies Benita.
Simon Egan and Belinda Reid, from Jackiah Jerseys, were also looking to supplement their genetics.
Among their purchases was Warrain Valentino Empress 22, pregnancy-tested-in-calf, at $2500.
Cooper Morris of Lance Creek selected the equal second-top priced cow, Warrain Invincible Love Lies 4, paying $4500.
This was the first cow purchased in 10-year-old Cooper’s dream to own a herd; he paid for the cow from his savings, earned from jobs around the farm. Love Lies 4 is in-calf to Victorious.
The 53 registered Jerseys averaged $2420.
The bulk of the remaining milking herd were commercial Holstein and crossbred cows, with some spring-calving heifers.
Top price paid was $3200 for a rising three-year-old Holstein, sired by MVP and due to calve down in spring. She was purchased by a local bidder.
Another rising three-year-old Holstein heifer sold at $3000. She was sired by Uno and due to calve in August to MVP.
A Holstein heifer, born July 2021, sired by MVP and in-calf to Handpick to calve in August, sold at $2900.
Another Holstein heifer, also rising-three-year-old, sired by Fever and due to calve in July to Uno, sold at $2700.
A three-year-old Holstein heifer, second-calving, sired by Shampoo and due to calve in August, to Uno, sold at $2600.
Among the volume buyers of commercial Holstein cows were the Cope family from Meeniyan, Owen family from Driffield and Mapleson family from Lang Lang.
Kevin and Alex Mapleson bought 10 head, and Sam Owen and family purchased 18 cattle.
Shaun and Sharna Cope, from Meeniyan, have returned to dairy farming after a two-year hiatus, purchasing their new farm just outside Meeniyan.
They bought 22 Holstein in-calf cows in-milk, and are looking to grow their herd rapidly.
Overall, 172 lots sold for a gross of $321,800.
A run of late-calving heifers had limited demand and were set aside to sell at a later date.
Auctioneer was Brian Leslie from Dairy Livestock Services.
“All the Holsteins were spring calving, right at the end of their lactation and ready to be dried off,” Brian said.
Bidders in person and online, facilitated through Stocklive, were from Victoria and NSW.
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