Tyrendarra sheep and beef producer Peter Bryant turned to Speckle Parks, in what he said was "trial and error" after picking up a draft of cows and calves at a herd dispersal from a Cobden farm.
Mr Bryant runs Yannarie, a 160-hectare property on the Princes Highway, having been involved in the sheep export business and beef production for 18 years.
He's been there 18 years, running cattle and sheep, turning off F1 weaners before seeing some Angus cows with calves at foot which were up for sale.
"I bought 55 pregnancy-tested-in-calf Angus cows with Speckle calves out of Codben [on AuctionsPlus] two years ago, I was just dabbling in them," he said.
"They had beautiful big seven-month-old calves on them and they were in-calf again.
"I have kept those cows, they have a lot of milk and they were only on their first calf when I bought them.
"They are making an exceptional job of their calves."
But he said switching to Speckles was something of trial and error.
"I've never had Speckles before but I am very impressed," he said.
I've never had Speckles before but I am very impressed.
- Peter Bryant, Tyrendarra
"The weight gain is huge, I haven't weighed them yet, but I would say they would be 340 kilograms."
Mr Bryant said he would "try anything".
"I sold the calves off them last year, and they averaged $1800 [a head] and that was before the big jump," he said.
"I paid $4500 for the outfit, but they weren't dear at the end of the day because they had beautiful calves on them."
He expects to turn off about 50-55 Speckle Park calves and Pathfinder and Rossander-blood Angus weaners as well.
He said the cattle had come through a wet and cold winter on "real good lake country".
"They're on strawberry clover now - the season has been unbelievable, it just kept raining," he said.
"We're in December and it's still green."
He said he generally joined his females in the first week in June, for March calving.
"I generally run one bull to every 30 cows, they can break down and fight, I never put two bulls in one mob," he said.
"I have never had any trouble with calving with the Speckles - that's the beauty of them, they come out like little rabbits.
"Everything is good at the moment, no matter what colour - black, white or brindle."
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Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
