Buyers looking for Black Baldy heifers will have a limited selection from Alison and Geoff Burston, at Omeo on Tuesday, who are transitioning into an all-black herd.
They throw a calf with a quiet and good temperament, quick maturity and put on weight well.
- Alison Burston, Benambra
"They are out of the few Black Baldy cows we have left from breeding Herefords," said Alison Burston.
"This is the third season of our phasing-out program, after we sold the last Herefords two years ago.
"We are selling the entire Black Baldy drop of steers and heifers and about 34 Angus heifer calves and 103 Angus steers."
The couple run a herd of 340 Angus and 60 Black Baldy self replacing breeding cows on 2500 dryland acres at Benambra. The bloodline is Dunoon, with the majority of heifers kept each year.
"We've been traditional users of Dunoon bulls since longer than we can remember," Ms Burston said.
"They throw a calf with a quiet and good temperament, quick maturity and put on weight well. The cows are good milkers." Calving is from the end of April to July, resulting in the oldest calves being barely up to 11-months-old at the time of the mountain calf sales.
"We have a three month joining, so there's quite a few younger calves in the draft," she said. “The season has been good, with 35 inches of rain last year - the normal year averages 27." The good season resulted in an extended spring over summer. The calves were yard weaned on February 9, when they were drenched and have received two injections of 7-in-1.
"The calves were weaned with Lucerne hay in the yards and have been on improved pasture and Lucerne hay ever since,” she said. "There are a few smaller ones that were at the end of calving, but the entire drop should draft up well. They've been on good pasture over the summer."
South Gippsland buyers favour the Burston calves. Elders' Korumburra livestock agent Ross McRobert seeks the Burston calves, ideal feeder cattle in slightly forward condition, for a number of clients.
"They're quite well bred, quiet, easy handling, well behaved cattle," Mr McRobert said. "South Gippsland restockers and bullock fatteners normally buy them to grow out to two-year-olds, for grass assured programs and buyers with export orders."
The Burston calves will be drafted into the Omeo saleyards on Monday evening.
