It was while working on stations around northern Queensland that Ken Roche first came into contact with Brahmans, and since that time, his love for the breed has only increased.
With the aim of creating a pure Brahman breeding herd the Roche family bought Kenela Park, Marlborough in 1998, to start their own commercial business.
“I was brought up with British bred cattle, but the Brahmans heat tolerance, tick resistance, and the ease with which you can muster them won me over when I was up north,” he said.
“My wife Pam and I live on pretty harsh coastal country here, so the Brahmans’ environmental adaptability makes the breed well suited to our conditions.”
Mr Roche said they run close to 300 breeders on the 1500 acre property, and that they aim to produce 300kg plus bullocks which are sent directly to the meatworks.
The Brahmans heat tolerance, tick resistance, and the ease with which you can muster them won me over when I was up north.
- Ken Roche, Kenela Park, Marlborough.
“It has been a fairly patchy season around here, the township is fine, but if you go a little ways out the conditions are pretty ordinary, we’re still getting good prices for our cattle though.
“We have quite a bit of improved pasture on the block, and we also grow Rhodes Grass hay on 50 acres which has helped in the dry.”
Mr Roche said he first attended the Gympie Brahman Female Sale more than two decades ago, and that they’re looking forward to returning to the sale this year to further diversify their herd.
“There always seems to be a solid offering of heifers with a strong, varied selection of genetics.”
He said they’ve been buying bulls and females from Royce and Beryl Sommerfeld, Brahrock Brahmans, Maryborough, for “about 27 years” and often purchase from them at Gympie.
“Brahrock has a really good IVF program, and we find their cattle to be very reliable, coastal-bred, good doing types.”
The Roches are excited about the recent first drop IVF calves they got out of Brahrock Ms Elmo Dav 5429, which they bought from the Sommerfelds at Gympie in 2016.
“We also purchased a couple of lovely heifers sired by JDH Martin Manso, from Brahrock at the 2017 Gympie sale, which we are hoping will prove to be highly productive for us.”
