Breeding
Breeding
The greatest factor influencing our herd direction is their environment, hardiness is essential for survival here and we do not protect them from it - they can and will adapt if we let them.
In 1994 we introduced semen from bulls bred in some of the softer country parts of Texas. These bulls were Koris Sensation, Texas Sensation and Mr UV Jackson. Some of the progeny found the going too touch but we feel that the ones that made it helped our herd with quality and class.
After corresponding of many years we traveled to meet Mr Mike Levi of the Paleface Ranch at Spicewood, Texas. Cattle bred in this area have to be harder than most. We were fortunate to acquire semen from Paleface Icon, his son Paleface Icons 707 and Paleface 788 and outcross bull. These bulls revolutionized the breeding program at Doonside. Paleface Ranch had been established over 50 years and the cattle are so predictable, with great length, volume and an extremely quiet temperament.
Red Brangus
Red Brangus cattle bred at Doonside produce easy to fatten steers which have been found to turn off as two tooth with the correct fat and meat quality requirements, and these low content cattle are bred to produce the good soft steer which can function on coastal country.
Over the years of breeding cattle under the stressful conditions of poorer coastal country a very hardy line of Red Brangus cattle have developed. Bulls have been sold all over Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and Western Australia and have handled even the harshest conditions with the best of them. In 1994 Red Brangus bulls from some of the better areas of Texas USA were introduced and have made an immerse difference with quality and softness.
Over the last five years we have been using Paleface Ranch Red Brangus cattle from Spicewood, Texas quite extensively, as these cattle have been bred under practical conditions and have wonderfully quiet temperament, extreme length of carcass, are structurally correct, and their influence has added to our herd improvement operation.
Black Brangus
In 1994 we used semen from CCR Update and we were very impressed with the progeny. Our Black Brangus herd was high in Brahman content and the Camp Cooley bulls added to quality and class. After visiting the Camp Cooley Ranch we found the cattle to be managed and bred in a very practical manner, and were most impressed that Camp Cooley can afford to incorporate such comprehensive performance and genetic research, unfortunately we feel it is most unlikely that this extremely high level of genetic expertise will be viably achieved in Australia in the near future.
In 1999 we were fortunate to obtain semen from Transformer of Brinks and Challenger of Brinks, and feel these two bulls have revolutionized the Black Brangus herd at Doonside and encouraged us to concentrate harder on our black brangus cattle. In April 2003 we introduced four new Camp Cooley bulls.
Red Brahman
A few years ago we were very fortunate to acquire the Carinya Red Brahman Stud herd which included the very special sire Billabong 59B5. These cattle have adjusted well to our coastal conditions and are producing the cattle we hoped for. The heifers and many of the cows have been inseminated to various leading sires in the Brahman cattle industry. We find the Carinya cows, when mated to the Red and Black Brangus bulls produced high quality seed stock for our Brangus herds.
There is an ocean of excellent genetics available. At Doonside, we enjoy the challenge of breeding practical cattle for their specific markets, and we don't play favourites - we respect all breeds of cattle and learn from them.
Artificial Insemination (AI)
At Doonside extensive AI programs are undertaken each year resulting in 1400 pregnancies. This allows us to have access to the best genetics the cattle world can offer. Using herds of up to 600 head in each program, the controlled management for two operators.
AI cows leaving the yards in the morning go to their 'rest paddock' where they spend the day. Each afternoon the cows in the AI program return through the yards where cycling cows are drafted out. The herd then proceeds down a lane to their 'night paddock'.