LOVE for Hereford cattle runs thick and fast through the veins of the Hodgkin family.
Brothers Bill and Ron run their separate herds at properties near Eskdale and Mitta Mitta respectively, on the Omeo Highway.
They carry on a tradition began by their father, Bill, who bred and ran Hereford cattle in the same area and on the Bogong Plains.
Bill, had spent his day in bush country on his home block Stockyard rounding up cattle when he spoke with Stock & Land this week.
During the winter months he runs a small portion of his 250 breeders in this country where, with plenty of roughage available, they remain free of Tetany.
The country is looking good this year, he said, “terrific” even – “the best season we’ve had in a long time”.
“1981 was pretty good too.”
With his son Lee, Bill breeds Hereford cattle, sticking with them because they have “done well” for the family.
Before he lost access to the Bogong Plains for summer grazing he was able to run a larger herd and supplement feed in his own paddocks with that of the higher country.
Cows grazed the Bogong for a three-month stretch before they came home to calve.
“The country up there is going to waste.”
The herd has been developed along a range of bloodlines, with new sires selected visually.
“We go to a sale, pick out the best bull and try to buy him if he’s not too dear.”
Two years ago the Hodgkins bought four from South Boorook, Mortlake and this year have the bulls’ first run of calves on the ground – “they look like nice little fellas”.
The Hereford National show and sale held at Wodonga has provided a great opportunity to size up bulls from a range of breeders and Bill and Lee regularly make the short trip north to see what is on offer.
When buying they look closely at growth rates, length and legs – “we don’t like the light-legged ones”.
Bulls are joined at a rate of about one to 25 females and there are generally no problems getting the females in calf, Bill said.
They go out once yearly from September 1 for a late June calving.
“It gets fairly dry in the summer up here so if you have autumn calves you can run into a few troubles; we have pretty good winter country.”
A long joining – three months – means calf sales are spread out and risk is managed.
The best of the heifer draft remains in the herd for replacements while any others are grown out and sold through prime markets.
Their steer draft is sold at Wodonga from May onwards in lines of about 40 to 50 head.
This year’s draft will be sold on May 20 and will average about 300 kilograms, Bill said.
“We’ve got buyers who return each year to get our stock.”
Brother Ron runs about 120 Hereford breeders close by at Mitta Mitta on Scrubby Creek Road and at Callaghan Creek.
He was sourcing an outcross sire at Wodonga All Breeds bull sale last week, where he bought two at $1900 each.
Like his brother, he retains heifers within the herd and sells steers in the Wodonga yards in condition relative to the season – “when they’re good and fat and ready to go”, according to his partner Geraldine Lowe.