Robsvue Holsteins sell two-week old Friesian calf for $63,000

A two-week old Friesian heifer, with high profile genetics, has sold for $63,000 to a farmer from Numbaa in NSW.

Four-year-old Tahlia Walmsley from Robsvue Holsteins, run by her parents Rob and Bec Wamsley at Myponga, South Australia, with the two-week-old calf which sold for $63,000.

A two-week-old calf has sold for $63,000 as Australian buyers sourced new genetics for their operations.

The Busybrook Obsession Sale was held in New Zealand earlier this month for Nathan and Amanda Bayne but 13 lots of the cattle were based at Robsvue Holsteins, run by Rob and Bec Walmsley at Myponga, South Australia.

The sale topper was the two-week-old heifer calf out of Oakfield Solomon Footloose, EX 97, USA, the supreme champion at the 2022 World Dairy Expo and was sired by Delta Lambda.

Mr Walmsley said they knew the calf was going to be special and attract attention, though had no idea of what that might mean in terms of price.

“The genetics of the cow were high profile and it was the first time they had been sold in Australia,” Mr Walmsley said.

“When she was born, we could see she was a pretty nice calf with huge potential to do things in the Australian dairy industry.

“The story about her (breeding) was always so good and while you always hope they will sell well, we’ve learned it’s better not to expect or anticipate too much.”

The buyer, Darren Crawford from Numbaa, NSW, also bought another heifer sired by Delta Lambda out of MS Beautys Black Velvet, EX 96, the all American aged cow of 2021 and 2022 for $27,000 as well as Busybrook Apple NYC-Red, a 12-month-old Unstopabull grand daughter of Apple-Red, EX 96 for $13,500.

Some of the other sales of Australian-based cattle included a pick of full sisters to the Royal Winter Fair Supreme Champion Blondin RD Unstopabull Maple-Red, EX 94, due to be born in September 2024, for $18,000 and the $17,000 paid for Busybrook Chief Lemagic, a two- month-old daughter of Comestar Lamagic Impression, EX 93 which sold to Empire Holsteins, SA.

Busybrook Apple Blossom-Red, a three-year-old direct daughter of Apple-Red, EX 96 sold to J Jennings and J Van Dyk of Chapple Vale for $15,000.

In the New Zealand leg of the sale, the top price was $35,000 for a first choice heifer due in June by Lambda from Kingsway Caught A Vibe, the 2023 junior champion at World Dairy Expo.