End of an era for Franco Herefords

Although the Franco stud has been dispersed, the Hannigan family will continue to run a commercial Hereford herd on their fourth-generation owned property near Casino.

The herd was dispersed at the Inverell Livestock Exchange in April with 162 lots selling from the 177 offered, to average $5454 and top at $20,000.

The top price bull at $20,000 was Franco Safari S510, bought by Glenellerslie Herefords, Adelong, NSW, while the cow and calf lots sold up to $18,000 for Franco Daffodil R132 with a heifer calf at foot sired by Franco Rockstar R100.

According to Elders selling agent Brian Kennedy there was a large buying panel on hand at the sale and online via StockLive with 85 registered bidders in total from across Queensland, NSW, and Victoria.

In the female lots the top price of $18,000 was paid by Jim Gibb of Cootamundra for the three-year-old daughter of the $45,000 sire Battalion Black Hawk K7, Franco Daffodil R132, sold with heifer calf Franco Daffodil U103 at foot.

Mr Gibb also purchased another Black Hawk K7 daughter, six-year-old Parson

Hill Cherry Ripe N107 with heifer calf at foot by Warwick Court Riverview R170 for $16,000, as well as Chery Ripe N107’s dam, nine-year-old Parson Hill Cherry Ripe J328 for $4000.

Bulk purchasers on the day were Vern and Debbie Robertson of McCooey Herefords, Goulburn who were winning bidders on 28 lots at the sale.

In the final breakdown of the sale offering the ‘S’ drop bulls, 26 head, sold to $20,000 to average $7576 and the 19 lots of ‘T’ drop yearling sires sold to $8000 to average $4000.

In the female draft cows with calves, 68 lots, sold to $16,000 to average $5455. “R’ drop first calf heifers, 23 lots, sold to $18,000 and averaged $6087. The ‘S’ drop heifers, 20 lots, sold to $7000 to average $4975 while the ‘T’ drop yearling heifers, 32 head, sold to $6500 to average $3890.