It was with an eye to slowly phase out his Brahman cow herd that David Howard from Coorumburra Rural Enterprise, north-west of Rockhampton, attended his first ABCA Rockhampton Brangus Sale in 2010 and since that time his fondness for the Brangus breed has only grown stronger.
Mr Howard currently breeds 350-400kg feeder cattle on his 9000 hectare operation, which he sells direct to the feedlot, the saleyard or the live export market depending on where the money is at the time.
He said he’s been purchasing Brangus bulls for the past six years to put over his 40 per cent Brahman cow base herd with the objective of eventually going full Brangus.
“I started going to the Rockhampton Brangus Sale in around 2010, as I was and continue to look for for quality bulls that’ll improve the herd,” Mr Howard said.
“They also provide us with a flatback without going too soft which makes them hardy enough for the coastal country we’re in,” he said.
Mr Howard said the prices he has been getting over the last few months have been extremely good.
“To put it in perspective I sold no-5 steers earlier in the year which made around the same money as no-6 steers we sold recently at about 150kg less weight.
“That shows how much demand has risen over the course of the year.”
Mr Howard said he’s getting pretty close to where we want to be in regards to the overall quality of his herd, but he’s still looking for those better quality bulls that will fit into his budget.
“At the sale I go and have a look at all the bulls, and as long as they tick the boxes that I’m looking for I don’t mind which stud I buy from.
“My main priority is getting bulls with a good temperament as some of our cows are a bit on the mad side.
“I also look for reasonably hardy, good doing bulls, that haven’t been looked after too much as they better suit our on-property conditions.”
He said the bulls he’s purchased at the sale do a good job, which showed recently when his cows preg tested exceptionally well even with the tough start to the season.
“We put the bulls in with them for four months from December, 2015 and we got an 87 per cent pregnancy rate, which is pretty impressive.”