FARMING in the area longer than he cares to remember, Geoff Halpin and his wife Nancy are moving their beef cattle operation towards a Charolais base.
Starting off with a primarily Angus herd, Mr Halpin began introducing Charolais bulls to his operation about three years ago.
"The Charolais calves mature much quicker, and after some trials on-farm, we found they were about a month ahead of straight Angus," Mr Halpin said.
"They are bigger boned, heavier and have a broader backend," Mrs Halpin added.
"It might be different in other areas, but the Charolais are definitely ahead here," Mr Halpin said.
Selling a majority of their steers privately to abattoirs, Mr Halpin said it was important for the cattle to get to the required weight range as quickly as possible.
"Last year we sold our first line of steers at about 13 months, and those who made it to the right weight range in that time were all Charolais-cross, bar one," he said.
"Producing calves and turning them over as quickly as possible, that is the name of the game."
Mr Halpin said they prefer to sell direct to abattoirs or buyers because it meant more money in their pocket at the end of the day.
"If you think you are getting the right money for them, then it is worth it – I keep an eye on the markets to see what others are making to decide on a good price," he said.
"Saleyards and markets are important because they set where the market is at, but it is easier on the stock to sell direct.
"And the average price we have been getting per beast has been consistently higher than the market."
With the goal of moving towards a Charolais based herd, the Halpins have kept all Charolais Angus females since they began cross-breeding.
The July-August calving herd will be pregnancy tested next month, with those not in-calf being culled.
Mr Halpin describes himself as a "fussy" bull selector, but it is obviously something he feels strongly about when it comes to breeding good beef.
"In the cattle industry as a whole, if you want to produce and sell good calves, you need to look at the bulls you are using," he said.
"You have got to be able to talk to and trust the person you are buying bulls from.
"We have been impressed with this bull, and so has the breeder Ken Manton, Clarinda Charolais, who has kept straws from the bull himself.
"You need ease of calving, because pulling calves becomes a costly when you have to start getting the vet out and losing cows."
Buying good bulls also means you can keep on progeny from select dams as sires, cutting down on the cost of purchasing more bulls, Mr Halpin said.
