Breeding.

Artificial Insemination (AI)

We do not buy bulls but rely on AI using our own bulls as covers. Since 2017 we have been AI’ng all our heifers and cows using selected littermate bulls over the heifers and retaining them for use for at least another year. For how much longer they are retained depends upon the performance of their progeny.

Cows that have failed to get back in calf are culled after they have weaned their last calf and other cows that are no longer needed are sold PTIC to other breeders. We strive to breed bulls that meet the needs of the commercial cattleman. They must be fertile, calve unaided, make good use of the food on offer and produce the carcases the butcher wants.

AI sires used in recent years.

2019

Wirruna Noel N049 and Wirruna Novelty N191

2020

Wirruna Midnight M089 and Mount Difficult Centennial L18

It may be noted that many have Mount Difficult in the pedigree. This reflects an association going back 20 years when Ian and Diana Locke called in on us to see Mount Difficult Unsworth, 1 of 4 Hereford and Poll Hereford bulls to be used in a sire reference scheme. We have come to have a healthy respect for their views on cattle breeding and to see their practices as a model to be followed.

In turn it pleases us to think that they have successfully used semen in our bulls and profited from the females they have bought from us. It was natural therefore that we should turn to Wirruna when it came to rebuilding our herd, particularly as it gave us access to lines we had lost. Midnight, for example, is a son of Mount Difficult Cadbury who has 364 calves in 16 herds and would have more if only we still had semen. We took the risk of using unproved sires as we had always found Wirruna sires to be true to description where both the EBVs and the physical appearance were concerned. The calves we have had to date indicate that this confidence was not misplaced.

2021