WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. – Pennsylvania Holstein convention sale chairman and auctioneer Mike Weimer knew the association’s annual sale would be a hot one this year.
Although consignors from several states “gave us the best young cows they had,” Weimer said one consignment in particular had the Holstein community buzzing: 4-year-old Shoremar Rhonda Rae-Tw-ET, owned by Michael Bohonik of West Middlesex, Pa.
“I’ve probably received the most calls on this cow than any I’ve ever worked with,” Weimer said before the sale, which was staged Feb. 22 in the ballroom at the Radisson Inn in West Middlesex.
A cow with four generations of excellent mammary systems, Rhonda Rae is sired by Startmore Rudolph and out of Scientific Lady, two Canadian cattle. She produced 27,317 pounds of milk as a 2-year-old (Canadian records). Her granddam, C Hanoverhill Tony Rae, is a gold medal dam and dam of merit with a 6-year-old record of 40,220 pounds of milk.
The third dam is Hanoverhill TT Roxette-ET, another gold medal dam and dam of merit.
Rhonda Rae sold with four No. 1 frozen embryos, two by LeDuc and two by Lee. A Lee daughter out of this cow sold to Japan for $12,000.
Working the phones.
Bids were flying the night of the sale, both in the standing-room-only ballroom and over the phone lines. At least two ringmen juggled cell phone and audience bids, and additional calls lit up the lines of other cell phones ringside.
The cow sold for $15,000 to the phone bid of Donald Mayer of Bloomer, Wis.
Calf brings $13,000.
The second high-selling animal at the Holstein sale was Fultonway Addison Spicey, consigned by Fultonway Farm, Willow Street, Pa. She was out of the bull Etazon Addison-ET and the dam Fultonway Fatal Spicey, a major artificial insemination and embryo contract cow.
The calf has two contracts with Genex and Alta-Genetics expressed interest in a contract with the new owner.
The phone lines were busy with this lot, too, with Larry Clayton of Waseca, Minn., giving the final bid of $13,000 over the phone.
The sale’s 73 lots totaled an unofficial $231,900, with an average of $3,177.
Pick of the pregnancies.
Bidders also battled for a choice of female calves out of Summershade Igniter and Regancrest Rudolph Dena. Regancrest Farm and Hovden Holstein Farm of Waukon, Iowa, consigned the lot. The donor cows are due to calve this summer.
The dam is a maternal sister to the Durham and Dante bulls and has been contracted extensively worldwide. The granddam, Snow-N Denises Dellia, has 14 excellent daughters and 20 daughters with excellent mammary systems.
The lot sold for $7,100.
A choice of three calves, determined to be heifers through ultrasound, sired by B-Y-U Mandel Bombay and out of Golden-Oaks Gibbon Lisa, was consigned by Solid Gold Partners and brought a bid of $4,900.
Buyers convinced.
Daughters of Wa-Del Convincer grabbed their own share of the spotlight in the sale ring.
Hillside-P Convince Erma-ET, consigned by Hillside Farms, Shavertown, Pa., sold for $6,000. Born December, 1999, and selling ready to flush, she has a $5,000 contract with Genosis in France and contract interest from Genex. The dam, Onegen Bellwood Emma, sent embryos to Japan and had a record at 2 years, eight months, of 40,720 pounds of milk.
Another Convincer daughter, Morningview Con Melissa-ET, consigned by Morningview Holsteins, Durango, Iowa, brought a bid of $4,000; Raneys SG Convin Jacuzzi-ET, consigned by Christopher Raney of State College, sold for $3,900. One-O-One Ked Conv Justine, consigned by Myron Bonzo and Keith Decker of Rochester, Pa., sold for $3,000.
Other top bids.
Ja-Bob Mario Faith-Red-ET, owned by Katherine Riedel, Corry, Pa., sold for $5,100. She was sired by Ron-Nan Mario-Red and out of SFL Concord S Fallon-Red.
Rolling-Spring Durh Sage-ET, sired by Regancrest Elton Durham and out of Rolling-Spring Emy Spice, sold for $5,000 at last week’s sale. She was consigned by Charles Bean of Franklin, Pa.
Bearing the well-known Rynd-Home prefix, Rynd-Home Locus Jingle sired by Locust-Ridge Emory Caleb and Rynd-Home Cubby Jupitor, sold for $4,700. She was consigned by Rynd-Home Farm, Cochranton, Pa.
Selling for $4,100 was Lu-Jado Leader Dina-ET, a Leader daughter out of Pintail-Point CM Dainty and consigned by Donald Caldwell of Saegertown, Pa. Also bringing $4,100 was R-Haven Jed Beauty, consigned by Trevor Harrington of Spring Creek, Pa.
Pen-Col Gibbon Deena-ET, consigned by Dennis Wolff of Millville, Pa., sold for $4,000. Black-Pond Sovern Nell-Red brought a bid of $3,900 for owner David Black of Saegertown.
An Addison daughter out of Lynncrest Formation Hush, an eighth generation Very Good or Excellent cow, sold for $3,800. Pennwood Astre Stag, milking 126 pounds at 43 days fresh, sold for $3,700. She was consigned by Duane Stoltzfus, Berlin, Pa.
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