FOR THE past few years, Devon Park beef producer Susie Clarke has used Shorthorn bulls over her Angus-cross cows in an attempt to improve fertility and milk production, while also getting an extra kick of hybrid vigour.
Ms Clarke, with assistance from fellow farm managers Graeme Steff, Greg Millard and Bruce Donovan, runs 1800 crossbred females at Dunkeld under the Devon Park banner.
This year, almost 2000 females will be joined.
Of that, 600 black Angus-cross cows will be joined to Shorthorn bulls, 550 heifers will have Angus bulls over them, while the remaining Hereford/Shorthorn cows will also be mated to Angus.
“More recently we have begun putting a Shorthorn bull back over the Angus-cross cows because we would like to retain the good traits of the Shorthorn within our herd, such as fertility, milking ability, fleshing ability and not excessive size,” Ms Clarke said.
“We want length with height but also that muscling ability. So the aim of this cross is to keep that fleshing on them. I always think you need to keep size in mind without pushing out to the extreme.
“We also wish to broaden our gene pool.”
From the late 1920s, Devon Park was run as a wool and beef producing property run by Trevor Clarke and eventually his son Jim – Susie’s husband.
Hereford cattle were solely bred there, the steer portion carried on to finish as 2.5-year-old bullocks.
The family business also included Mount Schanck, a property in South Australia’s South East, where they ran a Shorthorn herd with the same philosophy from 1860-2004.
There was also an exchange of bulls between the two properties so a crossbred herd of cows was run concurrently with the pure bred herds at both.
Susie says that Jim’s orientation towards the end product had helped him to produce cattle that met the requirements of the meat processors, and therefore those of the backgrounders in between the breeder and the feedlot.
“We have been very aware for a long time of the types of animals that economically convert grass to prime beef because we have worked with the end product,” she said.
During the 1980s, an Aberdeen Angus bull was used over the pure Hereford and heifer calves for the first time at Devon Park.
Ms Clarke said they were so pleased with the result that they have continued the program.
Angus bulls are now sourced from Barwidgee, Coolana, Weeran and Vermont (before it was dispersed).
Back then, all progeny was sold off.
In the early 1990s, it was decided the second Angus-cross cows would be retained.
Today, there are almost 800 pure black Angus-cross cows that are joined to Shorthorn bulls at Devon Park.
From the late 1990s, the Clarkes moved out of wool production to focus just on beef.
The Mount Schanck property was sold and the Devon Park property is now run as a self-replacing commercial herd that produces weaner calves.
“After Jim passed away, we felt we should concentrate on one thing and do it well,” Susie said.
Shorthorn bulls are now bought in from South East breeders, mainly from Andrew Withers at Exmoor, Naracoorte, SA.
Calving down is generally July/August after a seven week joining, for sale in February/March.
Mrs Clarke says they sell weaners at seven months of age because “it suits us and our markets”.
Last year they were sold on AuctionsPlus with much success, and this year the bulk of the steer portion have been sold to export.
This year, more than 550 heifers will be retained because they aim to run more than 2000 breeders at Devon Park.
Ms Clarke says she is very happy with the experiences she has had crossing all three breeds.
“Particularly Shorthorns because I believe they are wonderful cross cattle,” she said.
“They seem to enhance the Hereford and Angus breed and a combination of breeds is better than the single.
“You just have to make sure the bulls you use show the right characteristics. You don’t want to be too extreme in any trait.”
