Around the sales

PERFORMANCE RECORDING

Performance figures for stock entered at next month’s Perth bull sales are available online. The Breedplan system,developed in Australia and pioneered by the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, has now been adopted by the Hereford and South Devon breeds. It carries details of 160,000 pedigree Angus animals covering 18 years of herdbook information and the society has set up Pedigree Cattle Services to process information, as well as adding data for the Simmental, Belgian Blue and Beef Shorthorn societies. The Perth catalogue is available on the website (www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk) and offers buyers the chance to select traits they want from a new bull and matches top bulls to buyers” requirements. Estimated Breeding Values for 14 different traits are available, including calving ease, birth weight, growth rate and retail beef yield.

HAY AND STRAW

At auctioneer Brightwells’ annual January fodder sale at Leominster last week, over 3000t was offered for sale on 45 farms across Herefordshire and north Glos, with trade keenest for best quality hay and all straw on offer. Auctioneer Michael Evans said: “There is firm demand in this area from merchants.” A strong trade took barley straw Hesstons to 25 a bale, although less barley was now grown in the area, said Mr Evans. WHEAT STRAW Hesstons achieved 17.20 a bale, but most of the lots were D1000s or D1010s, which sold from 7.10-10.50 for wheat straw. Fodder beet achieved 10-12/t. Best quality hay traded for 94-138 per estimated tonne, but poorer quality lots ranged from 35-67/t.