Camels and cattle a healthy herd combination for creative Scenic Rim duo

While the practice is very common in north west parts of the state, on the west of the Scenic Rim at Rosedale, Skyline Farm co-owners Cameron Crouch and Aimee Carding decided to run two camels with their 150 head herd after reading a study.

On the 755Ha property, Mr Crouch and Ms Carding also have 20 head of Dorpers, six Berkshire pigs, several camels, two Llamas named Frank and Jesse James and an assortment of ISA Brown chickens.

But it's the camels co-grazing with cattle which has caused other graziers to prick up their ears.

"We looked at some studies and our cattle have had no illnesses since the camels have been there grazing in with our Brangus herd," Mr Crouch said.

Mr Crouch said the camels while popular to farm visitors had a genuine part to play in cattle health and had been so successful they were about to purchase two more males.

"We have been rotating the camels for two years as we rotate the cattle into a new paddock every week," Mr Crouch said.

"This also helps regenerate the land and we believe it helps the camels as they and the camels eat grass of different lengths.

"I saw a report which referenced a study by the University of Queensland about when cattle co-grazed with camels it helped the cattle's digestion as camel micro-organisms can be transferred when they share a water trough and this assists the cattle to digest grass more effectively.

"We looked at some studies and our cattle have had no illnesses since the camels have been there."

Creating additional income streams including hosting weddings and boutique farm holidays have helped Mr Crouch and Ms Carding fund their commercial Brangus herd.

A third-generation grazier, Mr Crouch said the pair had worked hard over the past four years to combine a love of cattle with his memories of mustering holidays and working with his father and grandfather to create a multi-revue stream property.

When you add their successful boutique accommodation and events spaces on the property, it's no wonder the Brisbane-based pair have their hands full.

However, Mr Crouch who is also a real estate agent and Ms Carding who is a property manager wouldn't have it any other way.

"When we started out we bought 30 head of various breeds to see which cattle would be the most suitable for our property,' Mr Crouch said.

"After some thought we decided to go with Brangus as they are known for their superior meat quality and resistance."

After deciding on Brangus cattle, Mr Crouch said they created their whole herd from the beginning.

"We bought a mix of some pregnancy tested in calf heifers as well as some which had already birthed before and then built up the weaners we grew up ourselves," he said.

"We have bought Brangus and Ultrablack cows Nindooinbah, and Ultrablack bulls from Palgrove.

"We buy and sell through Carl Young at Elders in Beaudesert who has been excellent and will be selling 50 weaners for us next month.

"There are two or three buyers we often sell to and they are a mix of those looking for potential breeders, weaners for fattening and backgrounding."

Mr Crouch said regular rain had helped improve pastures.

"Our weaners are turned off depending the season and with all the rain this year we have kept them a bit longer," he said.

"They will probably go to sale in the mid-200kgs."

While the pair at one stage had 90 pigs on their property they ultimately decided a commercial operation was no for them.

"Pigs are a lot of work but don't necessarily return the reward you want," Mr Crouch said.

"Although we still have half-a-dozen Berkshires we use as meat for ourselves."

Regarding the events and accommodation side of the business, Mr Crouch said a lot of the credit for its success lay with Ms Carding who is also part of their Ray White Sherwood - Graceville business in Brisbane.

"Aimee manages the wedding, organisation and the accommodation side of the business," he said.

"We live in Brisbane which is about a 55 minute drive to Skyline Farm, I spend two days a week there, we have a residential caretaker and manager on site and we have a small residence there as well.

"There's the main farmhouse which can host up to 20 guests and we are in the process of building another accommodation option called The Barn.

"We offer a luxurious farm stay experience as well as standout wedding and events and we are booked into the 12 months for lots of families and groups."

Mr Crouch said it all started with his grandfather Michael Crouch who was the chair of the Northern Australian Pastoral Company between 1967 to 1990.

"We get our country flair from my grandfather," he said.

"He and my father ran properties around Queensland.

"My father ran a commercial Brahman operation as well as a piggery and I grew up on the property at Monto in the North Burnett region."

A move to Brisbane and then time spent as a boarder at Brisbane Boys College didn't lesson Mr Crouch's love of the bush.

"I spent my holidays working and mustering on friends properties from Blackall to Yuleba and Surat," he said.

"And even though I lived and worked in the city I always knew I wanted to have a farm and share the passion I have for country life."

Mr Crouch said his parents were also involved and until his father passed away a couple of years ago, they would go to sales and work together on Skyline Farm.

"I have really good memories of my time with my father," he said.

"Now she's retired, mum manages the orchard and the vegetable gardens."

"I have always wanted to stay involved with the country and it's been an ambition of mine to buy a property and have good cattle, so when we looked at what we wanted to achieve we knew we needed to create other revenue stream."

Mr Crouch said he and Ms Carding wanted to make the most of their agribusiness.

"When you start a new herd, breeding takes a while before they start to sell and being in real estate we understood the value in short-term accommodation," he said.

"We started out during COVID and from the beginning most of our clientele were from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and its people who definitely want the country experience with animals as well as all the luxury comforts.

"As we grow our accommodation part of the business and focus on tourism, it will allow us to continue developing the right lines and produce really good cattle."

Have a great on-farm or livestock story? Contact Alison Paterson on 0437 861 082.