One of the properties Ian and Judi Marshman purchased at Limestone, in north-east Victoria, more than 20 years ago was already called Grumble Grumble, and the couple deemed it too good a name to let slip.
They now trade under the name Grumble Grumble Herefords. But Mr Marshman said Herefords were a terrific, easy-care breed. Until recently, the couple ran the farm while having careers in town.
“We’ve always bred Herefords and they do well, particularly on the hill country,” Mr Marshaman said. “They calve down well and are good mothers and our steers grow out well on grass.”
To make herd management easier, in the past four or five years the Marshmans have changed from a traditional horned Hereford herd to a Poll Hereford herd, to decrease the amount of de-horning required.
The Marshmans have 170 breeders and each year keep all the heifer calves for 18 months, and then sell of any surplus ones. The heifers calve down at two years. The Grumble Grumble Hereford herd started with Coora Hereford bloodlines (the stud was dispersed in 2000) and the Marshamns have also used bulls from Banemore, Glentrevor and Yavenvale.
“We select bulls in the top five per cent for the Supermarket Index, because we’ve found that allows us to target both domestic and export markets well,” he said.
They also selected bulls with estimated breeding values of average birthweight, and strong 400 and 600-day growth and muscle. Structure must also be correct.
“We try to grow cattle with a moderate frame, good muscle and high fertility,” Mr Marshman said.
Gradually bringing the joining period down from nine to six weeks has put selection pressure on fertility, as any females not in-calf are removed from the farm.
“Calving ease is another important factor because until recently, we were both working in the city, and we’ve been really pleased with our bull selection in that regard because we’ve only had to assist one heifer in two years,” he said.
Bulls are put out with mobs of about 40 females, depending on the bull’s age, from the end of May. The six bulls are rotated through the mobs, which total about 230 females.
In the past four months, the couple has increased their holdings from 223 hectares to 304ha, which Mr Marshman aid would enable them to build up the herd and give them for flexibility in marketing, particularly selling off weaners.
They run one cow and calf to 1.2ha (or 3 acres) plus replacement heifers, and Mr Marshman said that was a “reasonably ambitious” stocking rate on their mixture of improved and natural pastures, which was supported by applying a lot of fertiliser.
As well as vaccinations, the cattle are also given selenium treatments because soils in Limestone and surrounds are “notoriously deficient in selenium” according to Mr Marshman, who said the supplements had improved growth rates and fertility.
They’ve been seeling weaner steers in December and January and increasingly holding onto weaner heifers and selling the surplus of then in November to December the following year. This year’s draft of 95 weaner steers was sold direct from the paddock for $1020, or the equivalent of 337c/kg to north-east bullock fatteners.
