Jindavick

I have been involved in commercial cattle production in Southeast Queensland for about 30 years. I want efficient, fertile, tropically adapted cattle with a good temperament and able to produce quality calves without calving difficulties. Over the years I have tried a number of breeds of bull over my cows with mixed results.

Generally the base herd has been Bos Indicus (Brahman) based. We have used Droughtmaster, Santa Gertrudis and Brahman bulls. These gave us great tropical adaptability. Unfortunately the calves were not of a consistent type and temperament was at best inconsistent. They did produce some good replacement heifers. Along the way we tried a Murray Grey and Angus bulls, these produced excellent vealer over our Brahman cross cows but they did not produce replacement heifers often showing a lack of tropical adaptation.

While being the teacher in charge of Agriculture at three local high schools I have had the good fortune to deal with a number of cattle breeds. It is important to note that temperament is the most important characteristic in schools and during this time I came in contact with Red Poll cattle. I was very impressed with their temperament (I could truly trust them around students) and their fertility, calving ease, evenness of type early finishing and carcass characteristics (several placings at the EKKA carcass competitions). Other breeds encountered included Charolais, Limousin, Simmental, Droughtmaster, Brahman, Dexter, Angus, and Charbray. Of these the only breed that could consistently be trusted around students and still meet commercial standards were the Red Polls unfortunately they lacked adaptation to the tropics.

I wanted a breed that had the commercial traits that are exhibited by the Red Poll breed, evenness of type, Polled, excellent temperament, fertility, calving ease and able to produce butcher calves and grade MSA as 100% Bos Taurus and replacement heifers, Plus tropical adaptability. Some research lead me to the Senepol as a breed that may have ALL the requisite traits.

When I contacted Ian to purchase some cattle he could not have been more accommodating. I drove through the breeding herd on one day, working the breeding herd through the yards with some students from Corinda high school on another day, along with a look at the unjoined heifers and the sale bulls. Ian certainly gave me plenty of options.

In the end I purchased some unjoined heifers and a bull (all second cross Senepol from Red Poll). I particularly liked the eveness of the heifers. I was impressed by the fact that on arrival at my place (straight off the truck) I could walk among them in the yards.

I am a very happy customer and would recommend a call to Ian or Bev if you are looking to purchase a quality polled, quiet, growthy (hybrid vigour in the case of the cattle I purchased), tropically adapted bull (or females).

Darren Brown  B. Ag. Sc., M. Ag. Econ. St., P.G. Dip. Ed.