Brad and Rosie Howe, have been enjoying solid success with the pure Red Brahman article they're producing for the live export market at Zig Zag Station, in the Burdekin Catchment.
The Howe's run 1400 breeders with bulls, that in recent years, have been largely sourced from the Gold City Brahman Sale.
The family continue to run a predominantly Santa-based operation on 1450ha of country on Aberdeen in Roma, which is where they fatten and finish composite cattle for the southern markets.
They purchased Zig Zag four years ago with the objective of carrying out the bulk of their breeding activity on the 22,500ha of open forest and river frontage country there.
"We made the decision to run with Red Brahmans in the north, while placing great emphasis on producing poll cattle with excellent temperaments," he said.
"As we require a first class temperament in our cattle, any problem bulls and heifers are culled for the good of the operation. We also cull females based on performance and how they're handling the conditions."
He said when they bought Zig Zag from Mick Curtain of Curtain Bros, the Brahman herd that was included in the sale of the property had already been well developed.
"The breeds capability to handle the northern conditions is first-rate, and we've found that in the past 20 years stud breeders have developed the Brahman very well in relation to achieving all the attributes required for the local and export trade.
While originally targeting the trade steer market with their Zig Zag progeny, for the last two years they've been putting them on the boats as 350kg feeder steers.
"When the season breaks we'll be looking to finish our cattle for the southern markets, but we're currently getting a premium for our steers, and cull heifers, through Queensland Rural at the Dalrymple Saleyards and privately for the live ex market."
To continually improve the Brahman article they produce, the Howe's have been diversifying their genetics with bulls purchased from a number of vendors at the Gold City sale over the past three years.
"The bulls we've purchased there have all been performing very well. There is a good selection of cattle available at the sale and the genetics on offer are well suited to northern conditions, with a lot of the bulls being bred for that purpose.
He said they recently sold one of their block in the south and are looking to acquire more northern country.
"There are a lot of opportunities in the north for breeding, and as long as confidence keeps improving for the live ex market, we''l continue to keep doing what's working for us."
