EXCEPTIONAL dairy genetics will be on offer in the first stage of the Clark family's herd dispersal held at Echuca this Thursday.
The sale, which features 275 high quality Holsteins, Reds and crossbreds, marks the end of an era for Laurie and Gayle Clark, who established their dairy farm at Katandra West in October 1998.
For more than 20 years the family has bred dairy cows with emphasis on health, fertility and production, with Mrs Clark particularly passionate about breeding.
"Our breeding goals are no different to yours - we all want long lasting, trouble-free, high producing cows," Mrs Clark wrote in the sale catalogue.
"Over the years, we have dissected what makes that kind of cow, refined our criteria and stuck with the principles of what we wanted to create in a cow.
"Improvement never comes to a complete stop, but all the foundations have been laid and the structure is in place to go forward with some great cows."
The dispersal catalogue includes 163 spring-calved cows, 73 spring-calved heifers and 36 autumn-calved cows, pregnancy tested in calf.
The cows were tagged and inspected by agents early this week, and they're in great order, with fresh cows currently milking 30 litres, five weeks after calving.
The sale animals have been A2A2 tested, PCR 16 neg, cell count consistently under 100 and herd is averaging 590kgs milk solids.
Agent Lee Hamilton, Dairy Livestock Services, said the sale presented an opportunity for dairy farmers looking for high-producing cows.
The first stage of the herd dispersal ia at the Echuca Selling Centre on Thursday, September 16, beginning at 11am, with bidding available in person and online via Elite Livestock Auctions.