Two of the most widely-respected families in the beef seedstock industry have joined forces to produce a new line of Simmental stud bulls bred for Australia’s harsh northern climate.
Known as Woonallee N, the collaboration between Tom and Lizzy Baker, Woonallee, Furner, SA, and Brett Nobbs, Nobbs Cattle Co, Duaringa, Qld, will showcase their first line-up of Simmental northern stud sires at this year’s Beef Australia event.
Woonallee stud principal Tom Baker is excited about the partnership and said the combination of both families’ beef industry knowledge, experience and genetic resources is developing a quality Simmental product suitable for northern Australia.
“The 20 bulls on offer are a mix of bulls bred at our SA property and trucked to Brett’s property after weaning to acclimatise to the north along with bulls bred and raised by NCC,” Mr Baker said.
“It’s been very interesting to see the bulls grow and really adapt to a hot and humid climate. It has helped us to understand the challenges of southern cattle going to the north and how important it is to get them acclimatised before selling.
“We now have a group of bulls that are adapted and ready to go out into their new homes and excel from day one and that is so important.”
Established in the late 1970s, the 600-head Woonallee stud herd incorporates traditional Simmentals, as well as Black and Red Simmentals. The Baker family sells 120 bulls at their annual on-property sale in February.
“We have based our program during the past 15 years on quality South African Simmental bloodlines and because they live in such a hard, arid climate, they do thrive in Australia,” Mr Baker said.
“The focus has always been to produce an explosive growing animal with excellent growth for age, extremely good carcase characteristics and increased fat cover and softness.
“Nothing will change for our clients in the south, but our goal is to produce the quality we have been striving for with the Woonallee name in a package that is suited to the north.”
Although Mr Nobbs is a well-known Brahman breeder, last year he paid a record-breaking $160,000 for one of the Baker’s family’s Simmental bulls, Woonallee Los Angeles, at their annual Elite Production Sale, which sparked the idea for the Woonallee N collaboration.
The now-famous bull is a key part of the development of Nobbs Cattle Co’s pure Simmental breeding program, which currently comprises a 180-head cow herd, based on Woonallee bloodlines.
“I decided to diversify into Simmental cattle as the northern beef industry was heavily impacted by the live export ban which affected people’s breeding decisions,” Mr Nobbs said.
“The Woonallee name is synonymous with Simmentals and Tom and Lizzy have done all the hard work finding the best available genetics to suit Australian conditions and already have a Simmental type which is closely aligned to our northern environment.
The Woonallee name is synonymous with Simmentals and Tom and Lizzy have done all the hard work finding the best available genetics to suit Australian conditions and already have a Simmental type which is closely aligned to our northern environment.
- Brett Nobbs, Nobbs Cattle Company, Duaringa
“The Woonallee N joint venture will marry well with our existing NCC Brahman operation in delivering our clients a one-stop shop for both their Bos Indicus and European genetic needs.
“Our slogan is partners in progress, which really sums it up – I believe we can produce something quite unique and it is a great fit for both of us.”
According to Mr Nobbs, coat softness, sufficient fat cover and good eye pigmentation are vital for adaptability in the north and the Woonallee N brand is focused on breeding soft, easy-doing Simmental cattle which can forage on open rangelands.
“As Simmentals are a maternal breed and have plenty of milk, they can do anything from producing a heavy weight vealer through to a Japanese Ox bullock, it all comes down to having the softness, doability and constitution to do it,” he said.
“The big problem we have had in the past buying bulls from the south is that they have a 2000-kilometre journey, then step off a truck into a humid environment they haven’t experienced before, and are expected to go out to work, it is a big adjustment.
“The Woonallee bulls from the south that are destined for Beef Australia have adapted very well and are fully fledged Queenslanders now.”
Woonallee N will hold its first on-property sale at the NCC sale complex in 2019 and plans to offer between 100 and 150 bulls annually. Paddock sales will also be available in the future.
- Woonallee N is at Site 268 and 269 during Beef Australia 2018.
