Roslyn basks in glorious green

It's smoko break at Seifert Belmont Stud. Ian Stark watches on as wife Jeanne Seifert wanders through the yard, mothering the calves.

After receiving 129 millimetres on the property for December, the available grass surrounding the yards is gloriously lush.

Mr Stark said it was a nice way to roll into 2015, after receiving only 400mm (16 inches) of their 700mm (28 inch) annual average rainfall.

"Yeah [we're] quite pleased, the cows were down a bit in condition only a month or so ago," he said.

"But they've picked up really well on the green grass, particularly the calves have picked up.

"The first thing that happens is the milk production picks up so the calves are looking pretty good."

Mr Stark said early management helped pull their 1500 head of cattle, including 900 breeding-age cows, through the dry.

"We have some agistment country, all up close to 10,000 acres, at home about 8500 acres, and then about 1500 of leased or agisted country," he said.

"Last year when it was dry we took cattle away on agistment up to Rockhampton and we sold a lot of cattle so were already down on numbers.

"It wasn't anything drastic but we dropped 130 cows up to Rockhampton, so I suppose that's about a sixth."

Either dry or cull, those cows were ready to be sold anyway and were booked in to the Rockhampton abattoir on February 8, Mr Stark said.

With the market opening strongly this year, Mr Stark is looking forward to a successful year.

"I suppose with a little bit of rain around and the cattle prices looking good, we're as optimistic as you can get on the land," he said.

"It's the best money for cows, they're quoting over $4 for the kill rate, the carcase rate.

"Down here at Dinmore, north of Brisbane, we've got cows booked in next week at $4.30.

"And that's, well, I certainly haven't ever seen prices like that."