When the going gets tough, you can always sell Angus cattle.
And Angus breeder Malcolm Davies feels this is not just because they are impressive cattle, it is also thanks to excellent marketing by Angus Australia.
Mr Davies, Greenwald Pastoral Company, Foster, runs his Angus herd on two properties – 687 hectares at Foster, which is a family property, and another 1821ha at Dartmoor.
And he aims each year to produce between 2100 and 2200 calves.
Mr Davies runs his heifers at the Foster property, while running his second and third-time calvers at Dartmoor, where he has a manager to oversee production.
He joins 400 heifers each year.
“An autumn calving suits our operation,” he said.
Mr Davies said he has sourced his bulls from Dunoon Angus stud, Holbrook, for the past 17 years.
“They have a very quiet line of cattle,” he said.
“I’ve been very happy with their cattle so I’ve stuck with them.”
Mr Davies sells his steer calves as weaners, sending them through the store markets or feedlots.
He sold 612 steer weaners at the Mount Gambier sale in December last year.
The steers, which were an average weight of 310 kilograms, made $3.55 a kilogram or $1100 a head.
Meanwhile, he said he directs some of his heifers through the Chinese market, depending on price, at the age of about eight months.
Otherwise his cull heifers are sold through Coles at 18 months of age.
Mr Davies has been enjoying a fantastic season in his 40-inch average rainfall region.
“The clover and grasses have been magnificent,” he said.
And thanks to the excellent season, he hasn’t had to supplement his cows’ feed throughout the winter.
Mr Davies said the quality marketing campaign by Angus Australia had really helped the already renowned breed succeed.
“It was a very sensible and good campaign,” he said.
“When the going gets tough, you can still sell Angus.
“There is always a market for them.”