Auctioneer Harry Begg from C & D Auction Marts Limited, Dumfries recently conducted the on-farm Ervie Herefords Spring Bull Sale, where 45 rising 2-year-old Hereford bulls maintained the demand of recent years and saw a total clearance to gross £108,400 and average £2408.
From the length and breadth of the UK, new and repeat customers converged on the Douglas family farm near Stranraer on 16th February to assess the bulls and have lunch before competing for their choices. The outwintered bulls are naturally presented and are catalogued with full EBV and in-herd performance data. High-maternal Line One Hereford genetics used in the Ervie herd breeding programme has been increasing in demand with commercial beef farmers in recent years, providing them with consistency and extra hybrid vigour in their beef herd.
Sale topper was Ervie Advance 151965 selling for £6200 to repeat buyer for Black Baldie production, W Montgomery, Colmslie, Galashields. He was sired by Ervie L1 Achiever 121496 and boasted a magnificent set of EBV’s including the highest 400 day weight in the group of +69, a Terminal Index of +33 and a Self Replacing Index of +41.
Other leading prices were Ervie Advance 151950 to Greenmount Agricultuaral College in Northern Ireland for £4200, and Ervie Advance 151991 to Campbell Partnership, Stokesley, Yorkshire for £4000.
As usual, dairy farmers were buying in force with volume buyers Glenapp Estate, Ayrshire purchasing eight bulls, and Lundie Farming Company, Northampton buying four bulls.
| Value £ | Name | Comment |
| 6200.00 | Ervie Advance 151965 | Sired by Ervie L1 Achiever 121496 and a Unitarian heifers first calf, he boasted a magnificent set of EBV’s including the highest 400 day weight in the group of +69, a Terminal Index of +33 and a Self Replacing Index of +41. Sold to repeat customer William & James Montgomery, Colmslie Farm, Galashields. |
| 4200.00 | Ervie advance 151950 | Highest actual 400 day weight from over 70 bulls in the group and from a proven Dowager cow who has previously had sons to £4000 and £3000 and heifers to £3000. The sire this time was Ervie L1 Achiever 91147F and he went to another repeat customer, Greenmount Agricultural College, Northern Ireland. |
| 4000.00 | Ervie Advance 151991 | Sired again by Ervie L1 Achiever 91147F but from the Carol Lily family this time. Both his actual weights and his EBV’s were right at the top for the large group of bulls and included a Terminal Index of +34 and a Self Replacing Index of +43. Buyer was repeat customer, The Campbell Partnership, Oneholmes Farm, Stokesley. |
| 3800.00 | Ervie Advance 151960 | Stylish son of Ervie L1 Achiever 91151H and from the Lisette family this time. Sold to new customer J Y Elliot & Son, Newsham Farm, Penrith. |
| 3700.00 | Ervie Advance 151888 | Sired by Ervie L1 Achiever 81043E and from the Peach family. Sold to repeat buyer Kenny Lang, Wellhead Farm, Lanark. |
| 3200.00 | Ervie Advance 151924 | By Ervie L1 Achiever 91151H and from the Lisette family. Highly rated to new customer John Burrells, Whitby. |
| 3000.00 | Ervie Advance 151986 | By Ervie L1 Achiever 91151H and from the Gracile family. Repeat customer Mark Ogg, Aberdeen. |
