Brad Neven Watkins & Co, gave me a run-down on Tuesday’s Roma Sale, which featured the annual turnoff of Kindee Station’s sale of 1000 Santa/Charolais/Shorthorn cross weaner steers 8-10 months and 700 Santa/Charolais Shorthorn cross weaner heifers 8-10 months.
Going back in history, Brad said the Murray Family were wheat farmers at Kindee at North Star, starting in 1932. The family now run a mixed farming and grazing enterprise there over three properties principally running Hereford cows and merino sheep as well as farming up to 14,000 acres of wheat.
In 1980 Ian and Jane Murray were fed up with falling wheat markets and decided to turn their hand to full scale cattle breeding operation. Ian drove thousands of kilometres to finally find his first Queensland property to purchase Cowangah at Taroom, consisting of 14,000 acres in the heart of the Brigalow country.
The search for further Brigalow country ended nine years later when Ian and Jane bought the 23,000 acre soft wood scrub block, Muya, at Injune. They attended the inaugural Yarrawonga/Waco Santa Bull Sale and purchased their first Santa bulls and joined them to Hereford cows.
The operation at Cowangah started with predominately Santa Gertrudis females based on the Yarrawonga Santa blood line and they were joined to Hereford bulls bought from the Nixon family at Devon Court Stud while the Muya herd consisted of Hereford cows joined with Santa bulls.
The family introduced Palgrove Charolais bulls into their Santa herd at Taroom resulting in some of the largest frame breeders in the land, so it’s not uncommon for Kindee Pastoral Company to sell a b double of cull cows to average in excess of 700kg. In later years Moongool Charolais bulls were introduced and average prices paid for those bulls varied between $8000-$12,000 per head.
In 2010 a major decision was made to soften the Cowangah herd, and Weebolabolla Shorthorn bulls where used over the Santa/Charolais females returning a magnificent cross, resulting in thick set weaners with an abundance of bone, flesh and softness. In 2010 sale the family purchased 16 bulls to average $7000 per head and this trend has since continued.
A recent addition to the crossbreeding program was their 2016 purchase of 12 Angus bulls from Birramooka Angus Stud to average $14,000 per head. These bulls would be used over first calf heifers.
Roma Saleyards was set alight with buyers and excited onlookers last Tuesday June 27 when auctioneer Brad Neven dropped the hammer on yet another outstanding draft of weaners from the Kindee Pastoral Company.
