BRENDAN Fulton has been breeding Blonde d’Aquitaine cattle for 10 years.
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As such, one would expect to see his paddocks dotted with white, well muscled cattle.
But Mr Fulton’s Lone Pine stud at Willow Grove has a difference: his Blonde d’Aquitaines are black.
Mr Fulton, along with his father Ian, decided there was a need for black coated animals in the breed.
“It’s extremely difficult to get traditional farmers to accept the blonde coat,” Mr Fulton said.
After seeing the success and popularity of black coated animals during a recent visit to the United States and Canada, Mr Fulton and his father made the decision to go black.
The Fultons purchased a 7/8 bred Black d’Aquitaine bull, which recently arrived at their Willow Grove property from Queensland.
“Our aim is to have all of the black genetics,” Mr Fulton said.
“To my knowledge there is no other Black d’Aquitaine bull in Australia.”
Mr Fulton has used Angus genetics to breed up his black line of cattle, which are joined to Blonde d’Aquitaine bulls.
“Our black herd is based on Ebony Lodge, Strathewen and Te Mania Angus lines,” he said.
“We cull heavily and always have.
"As soon as one looks at you funny, it’s gone.”
Mr Fulton now intends to join his 7/8 bred cows to his 7/8 Black d’Aquitaine bull to produce pure Black d’Aquitaine cattle, which will be eligible for registration in the Blonde d’Aquitaine Society’s herd book.
Semen purchased from Canada will also be used in the program.
Mr Fulton said he and his father would be the first breeders in Australia to sell pure Black d’Aquitaine cattle.
“We have invested a lot of time and effort and now it’s all coming together.”
After winning the medium domestic hook class with a Blonde d’Aquitaine-cross steer at this year’s Royal Melbourne Show, Mr Fulton plans to enter two Blonde d’Aquitaine-Angus cross steers in the 2011 beef carcase competition.
He plans to target breeders looking for black coated cattle and Angus breeders looking to put more growth into their calves.
Mr Fulton’s Black d’Aquitaine bull will be on display at Lone Pine during 2011 Beef Week.
