WITH a combined 72,850 hectares over three properties and 6000 breeders, the O’Sullivan family have their work cut out for them.
Four children run around with John and Rebecca O’Sullivan at home on Jumba Station, Charters Towers and they said they wouldn’t have it any other way.
The commercial breeding and fattening operation is run as a company with Mr O’Sullivan a director alongside his parents, Stirling and Gail O’Sullivan.
Mr and Mrs O’Sullivan said after the drought hit them in 2012 and peaked in 2014, they have had to put about 4000 head on agistment country in the local region with blocks near Clermont, between Charters Towers and Aramac and north of Charters Towers.
The original breeding herd at Jumba was high-grade Brahmans, but a turn a decade ago saw a much bigger emphasis on Droughtmaster cattle.
They don’t control join their bulls – which leaves them mustering and weaning year-round.
Mr O’Sullivan said it was a combination of practicality and management.
“We just never got around to doing the selective mating thing,” he said.
He said by operating this way, they avoid overloading certain paddocks and properties, and by having cattle of all sizes they were able to spread them out more.
“This way we turn them over every quarter so we keep making room,” he said.
“It helps to maintain the grass if they’re stacked on lighter at different times.”
The O’Sullivans market predominantly straight to the meatworks, selling bullocks at about 600kg each February or March, but said lately they have been taking advantage of the strong feeder market.
Like most of the region, they are desperate for rainfall, but the purchase of an adjacent property has afforded more water options.
“Here (Jumba) we’re all surface water, but the northern land is predominantly bores,” Mrs O’Sullivan said.
“We just bought that place and added it on…it offers more land and it’s neighbouring so it’s easy for us to access and run and to bring some cattle back off agistment.”
Mr O’Sullivan said once it rains, he hopes to bring back all the cattle currently on agistment.
“We’re getting better now (at Jumba) because we’ve shifted so many away,” he said.
“It gives the grass a chance to come back.”
Despite the recent purchase of a neighbour block, Mr and Mrs O’Sullivan, Jumba Station said they have no pressing plans to expand their operation.
Mrs O’Sullivan said with four children under eight, Haley, seven, twins Clare and Emilee, three, and Rhett, ten months, she wanted to focus on the family until they expand.
Over the three properties Mr and Mrs O’Sullivan manage, they said they have a combination of Buffel grass, Black Speak Grass and Spinifex among others.
The operation is run as a company, Jumba Holdings, and owns various other properties in the region.
Mrs O’Sullivan said since moving toward Droughtmaster genetics a decade ago, they have been buying bulls from the Donaldson family at Medway Droughtmasters.