Saturday, March 27 saw Holstein breeders congregating in Rochester, Minn. at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds for another edition of the Minnesota Spring Special Sale. Managed by the Minnesota Holstein Association, consignors maintained the quality reputation of the sale by offering up for sale a solid line-up of show prospect calves and yearlings, exciting young milk cows and honest, high producing cows. Consignments came from well-known herds in the Upper Midwest and Manitoba.
Topping the sale with the final bid of $10,500 was Lot 1 - 1st Choice Klassic Big Time female from Hendel Burt Bridget 2327. Select Sires, Ohio, had the final bid and will have their choice of five females born in February. Selection will be made following genomic test results that will be available in April. Bridget is VG-86 VG-MS with a CTPI of +1840. Her 2-00 record was 365 28,570 4.3 1215 3.3 949. She has sons in AI and embryos have been exported to Japan. Daughters by Dorne have already tested high genomically at +2138, +2053 and +2015 GTPI. The choice was the consignment of Hendel Farms, Caledonia, Minn.
Second high seller of the sale at $3,900 was Donohoe Rolanda Buck. True to her pedigree, this full-aged winter yearling is of the Canadian-kind and could be quite competitive in the ring this summer into the fall. She is sired by Braedale Uncle Buck-ET (Buckeye x VG 2yr Allen x Baler Twine) and her dam is Donohoe Rolanda Empire-ET EX-90 CAN. Next three dams are all VG. Rolanda was consigned by Donohoe Farms, Ltd., Manitoba and was the successful purchase of Newalta Dairy, LLC, Pipestone, Minn.
A group of three lots would achieve the third high selling price of the day at $3,600. They were Lot 5 - Sanchez daughter of Debutante Rae's GP-84 2yr Final Cut daughter; Lot 32 - VG-86 VG-MS 3yr Potter milking 139 lbs/day and made over 36,000M @ 2-03; and a recently fresh Toystory milking 149 lbs/day and made just under 33,000M @ 2-02.
-courtesy of Sarah Schmidt, Holstein World