HOW TO DRUG PROOF YOUR CHILDREN – 5 YEARS ON

Despite the turmoil of the past few years, one thing has remained constant, and that is our cattle. Looking back on the article I wrote for the first edition of this magazine, it is reassuring to see that our expectations of their performance were realistic. In these difficult times, Squaremeater cattle have proven themselves on both a performance and management level. We have attended many shows and field days over the past 5 years, and I can confidently stand by the assertions we make in regards to the performance of the cattle, and to their ease of management. In this article, I would like to address this issue of accountability, and then put forward our business plan as an example of how a Squaremeater stud operates on a small holding.

We have 40 acres at Mangrove Mountain, which is at 300m above sea level on the Central Coast of NSW. We bought the property in 2000, and purchased our first Squaremeater cattle in 2001, primarily because we couldn’t help ourselves. We had done a lot of research into viable farming opportunities for smallholdings, from Boer goats to alpaca to cattle, and had read a fair bit about Squaremeaters. During this research phase we went to an on-property auction just to “have a look”. When we saw the cattle we couldn’t help ourselves. They met all of our criteria so we bought two 3-in 1 packages (cow with calf@ foot, and in calf again). Five years on, we have a thriving Squaremeater stud, and have never regretted our impulse buy.

My first article addressed the issue of the “tree change”, and the reasons why we chose to uplift our three kids from their seaside abode and plonk them in the country. Thus far, the decision has brought with it great pain after my husband died in 2004, but also great comfort (cows are very good listeners). Unanimously when given the choice, the kids have voted to keep going and to stay put. Although they whinge a lot at times, they all work very hard at keeping the farm going. I work full-time off farm, and the older kids are away from home from 7.15am to 5.00pm, so it is a testament to the “do-abilty” and manageability of the cattle that a single woman and three kids can operate a Squaremeater stud. We have been only able to do this with the enormous generosity of our community who give of their time and expertise without hesitation. I have learnt many things since Peter’s death, and one of them is that good friends and neighbours are one of life’s great gifts. It is often with a wry grin and a shake of the head that the help is delivered, but it always arrives. It is this spirit of generosity that characterises the Squaremeater society as well. After we got ourselves back on our feet, the kids and I decided to return to showing the cattle. There is no way we could have done it without the wholehearted support of the other members. We have received help with everything from advice on feeding and preparation from our mentors (plus lots of calming down noises); to physical assistance with loading and unloading and setting up from the various blokes around the shed. Our cattlemates have shares in the excitement of our successes, offered advice when things weren’t up to par, and sewn buttons on shirts as the parader walked into the ring. No job has been too big or too small for someone not to offer a hand when needed.

Our research into the best breed for our purposes gave us a set of criteria that we felt needed to be met for the breed to be considered suitable. Five years down the track, ensuring those criteria were met means that now when we are talking to potential buyers we can stand by the assertions we make in regards to performance and manageability. This is what I mean in my reference to accountability: a return customer is a satisfied customer, and is a measure of the success of the product. The following is the criteria we set for ourselves when researching the most suitable breed for our purposes.

1. SAFETY.

• Polled cattle: Farms are inherently dangerous places, and are the number one on the list of sites for serious childhood injuries. Our first criteria was for polled cattle, and when you are in the yard with a mob of cattle, I don’t want any sharp pointy bits sticking into me thank you very much. As a GP I have seen the injuries caused directly by horns, and injuries sustained whilst de-horning cattle. I find that concept ludicrous in fact, my philosophy is that all the processes we undertake should have a purpose, and should be streamlined. If not risk free, the processes should be as low risk and uncomplicated as possible. Why purchase a product that requires modification? (Why purchase cattle with horns and then take their horns off!!!)

• Temperament: A lot has been written and said about the temperament of Squaremeater cattle, so I need neither repeat nor re-iterate it. A testament to the temperament of the cattle is the fact that Milly (10), Joseph (13) and I were able to load a cow, a bull and 2 heifers into our trailer with cage without assistance. There was a lot of pushing and shoving, and the four of them ended up looking like those sumo wrestlers in the “not so squeezy” advertisement. But the cattle just tolerated all of the poking and prodding without a murmur, even when I had to shimmy (kelpie style) along the top of them to get out over the top.

• Size: Squaremeater cattle are neither small nor miniature (they are in fact in the words of Goldilocks “just right”). Their compact size is a safety feature in the yards primarily because an adult can see over the back of the cattle. This is of importance in ensuring the smooth movement of the cattle through the yards when undertaking herd management tasks such as immunising, drenching, tattooing etc.

2. FERTILITY

All of the blurbs about the different breeds seem to make the same claims, “high fertility, easy calving, good milkers”. This is because these are the desirable properties deemed to be vital by individuals and breed societies when selecting breeding stock. The skill is to determine which breeds are actually meeting these claims.

Thus far in our five years having had over 60 individual females run with a bull, we have culled two females for failing to fall pregnant. One was barren; the other actually had a calf but contracted endometritis (infection of uterus) and failed to fall pregnant again. In our experience the high fertility claims for the breed can be supported wholeheartedly.

When growing up I witnessed many calves being pulled, and it remains a hauntingly abhorrent memory. Thus, selecting for easy calving has been one of my top priorities. I work off farm, and I do not have the time to be monitoring my stock to the extent that I can intervene if they have trouble calving. They do it on their own, or not at all. Thus far, we have had only one incident, and that was due to our own lack of experience. We took two cows that were due to calve to the Royal Canberra Show much to the horror of the other breeders. One girl calved in the truck en route, and the other poor girl was tied up for 5 days, and then hauled home in the truck prior to calving. Her calf was in the breech position, and needed to be assisted. This was because the cow hadn’t had the opportunity to walk around prior to delivery, which encourages the calf to turn into the proper delivery position. The fortunate result of live mother and live baby under these circumstances certainly consolidated the claims of “easy calving”. In the paddock we have had 100% unassisted births. The reasons for the easy birthing characteristics lie in the combination of the small birth weight of the calf, correct roomy conformation of the maternal pelvis, and flat paternal shoulders. This combination reduces the risk of dystocia and obstructed labour.

Many other breeds would have superior milking statistics when compared to Squaremeaters. At Silver Gully, all of our cows have successfully fed their calves. We have had one episode of mastitis in an unled cow 3 days post partum, and again this is where temperament is so important. Due to the placability of the cow we were able to lift the calf into the back of our 4WD where she lay resting on the kids lap. The mother then followed the car up to the yards. We then milked her out and fed the milk to the dogs (who thought it was Christmas). We were then able to put the calf onto the teat, and after a night together in the yards, mother and baby were discharged back to the paddock the following morning. The reason for not feeding the baby the milk was that she had already had the benefit of the colostrum, and by putting her onto the teat she drained the congested udder. All of our calves have thrived with no need for supplementary feeding which is consistent with the claims made about the good milking characteristics of the breed. Squaremeaters carry their ancestral Murray Grey’s universally acknowledged qualities of being sweet mothers with gorgeous babies.

The fortunate result of live mother and live baby under these circumstances certainly consolidated the claims of “easy calving”. In the paddock we have had 100% unassisted births. The reasons for the easy birthing characteristics lie in the combination of the small birth weight of the calf, correct roomy conformation of the maternal pelvis, and flat paternal shoulders. This combination reduces the risk of dystocia and obstructed labour.

The size of the newborn calf is probably the feature that has the most impact on the ability of heifers to calve down unassisted. All of our calves have been <27kg, with a very tight cohort weight range around 22-25 kg. The biggest thing about our calves are their eyes, with their gorgeous long eyelashes! Not matter how many calves we have had, I can't seem to stop from marvelling at how quickly these tiny lamb sized calves pick themselves up and start bouncing around. Within 2 days they seem to be playing chasies with each other. One of our neighbours had a Hereford heifer who found the allure of our bull too much one moonlit night. She paid him a visit and ended up presenting her owner with a bull calf at 2years of age. Our neighbour was amazed, not only at finding his heifer with a suckling calf when he turned up to check his stock, but at the size and vigour of the calf. He called him "Sparky" because of the characteristic feature these calves have of jumping all around the place.

Many other breeds would have superior milking statistics when compared to Squaremeaters. At Silver Gully, all of our cows have successfully fed their calves.

 

3. FINANCIAL RETURNS

Outside the Squaremeater Society I have met many people who have cattle, and have so much money they neither know nor care how many animals they actually own, or even what breed they are! These are the people who have cattle on their properties simply to satisfy the taxman. I don’t have that much money. I have worked hard for every dollar that has made its way into my bank account, and I don’t spend any of it just for tax minimisation purposes. Our cattle have to earn their own way. I expect a return on my dollar. That is why we have constructed a business plan for our operation.

We chose to breed stock rather than buy and fattening steers primarily because the initial financial outlay was less than buying a consignment of steers to fatten. To make any kind of useful profit with steers you need to purchase a large number. By purchasing cows and calves we could grow our own profit.

Over the past 5 years we have set up two different markets. The first is in selling stud stock, mainly 3-in- 1 packages, ie PTIC (pregnancy tested in calf) cows with a calf at foot. The advantage to the purchaser with this package is that you have a product with proven fertility and calving ability, another one on the way, and another potential breeder in < 2 years time. Thus potentially increasing your herd size from 2 to 5 in <2 years. By purchasing a cow, you have an animal that already knows what gates and fences and laneways and yards mean; rather than a pack of unruly steers who have no older herd animal to keep them under control (just imagine going away for the weekend who do you want to leave at home in charge, your mother or your teenage son and his mates!!!)

Our markets for our stud cows and calves have in the past come from attending and holding open days on-farm, or field days, and from enquiries via the website. Our last sale was at the Inaugural Sale and Show at Camden, and as we achieved equal top price for a female with Silver Gully Chanel (calf @ foot, Silver Gully Valentine), this certainly appears to be a viable option for us. The society organised everything, all we did was turn up with our animals in tiptop condition. Admittedly we did come home with more animals than we went with, but I just couldn’t resist!!!

Our second market is in the sale of our own steers for meat to local purchasers. We grow our own steers, organise the transport to slaughter, and then onto a local butcher to be dressed and packaged. The animals (or a proportion) are presold prior to slaughter, and are collected by the purchaser directly from the butcher. The purchaser has the option of instructing the butcher in their specific demands eg some people like roasts, others like more mince. Some people like silversides, others want minute steaks. The demand for this product, grass fed beef raised in a biologically sustainable fashion, outstrips supply. We are unable to produce enough steers to sell to our consumers, and leave enough for ourselves!

With two separate products (cows & calves and steers), we are able to meet market demands. Thus far, Squaremeaters have not let us down in the quality of the product. There have been times however, when they have not reached our expectations in regards to the prices paid for our females. Currently due to the drought conditions demand for livestock is low. This has certainly pushed prices down, making it an ideal time for anyone seeking to enter the market. Quality stock is available at bargain prices. “There’s certainly never been a better time to buy”

4. DO –ABILITY (the ability to do well in adverse conditions)

Strictly speaking this is not a quality we had listed in our original criteria, because until we actually started to breed cattle, we were unaware of the importance of this characteristic. It is only as our herd size has increased, and the conditions have worsened that we have become fully aware of the vital importance of the need for cattle to be able to make gains despite the poor conditions.

On small acreage, I believe that if you are going to fully utilise the pasture during times of plenty (spring-early summer) you need to accept the need to feed out some hay during the winter. The alternative is that if you carry only enough stock so that your winter feed is adequate, then you will have excess feed in the summer months. Other options are to sow a winter crop such as oats to see you through the winter months. The ability to maintain their condition through the sparse feed times is one of the hallmarks of the breed. This is what the breeding stock have been selected for over time by the founders of the breed. Even within your own herd, individual variations will demonstrate which animals have better “do-ability” than others. By taking into consideration other heritable traits, such as temperament and conformation, the breeder is able to select and keep those animals that bear these desirable characteristics, thereby increasing the quality of the herd whilst keeping the absolute numbers of animals in the herd to a manageable level for the amount of land available.

I am really pleased to be able to stand by the claims we make about our animals. Five years down the track, I am as impressed by the cattle as the first time I saw them. Thus far, apart from disappointment that we have not seemed to make huge advances in regards to the unfair and unfavourable remarks made about the cattle by ignorant and uninformed individuals, the cattle have met and surpassed my expectations for performance. I think the challenge for the breed society is to break through this negative ideology, and it is up to each individual breeder to be informed with the facts, because the cattle will speak for themselves. On the various occasions I have had blokes on my place doing some work, or just giving me a hand, invariably they will comment on the quality of my stock. This is usually backed up with the comment “ oh Squaremeaters, but I thought they were supposed to be small cattle! These cows aren’t small! ” It is this misconception that must be dispelled. The bonus to the current purchaser is that the prices for Squaremeater cattle are currently extremely competitive, thereby improving the financial returns on outlay.

I love my cows, and the kids and I are keen to keep up our participation on the show circuit. Not just because of the improved market potential gained by displaying the cattle, but because it gives us the opportunity to do something enjoyable together as a family. It is an opportunity for us to spend time with our cattle mates, both human and bovine. I love “playing” with the cows, they are great listeners, and really seem to enjoy the attention. The kids have developed great skills, not only with learning about presenting and parading the cattle, but also in human relations. They need to be able to care for their animals whilst balancing the needs of the animals against the safety of the people interested in getting up close and personal. These are valuable tools.
I can talk cows all day, if you would like any further information please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Details are on our website www.silvergully.com.au.