A DOUBLE property offering in the Upper Hunter offers an ideal combination of cash flow and size with one of the properties serving to enhance the productivity of the offer.
"The Highlands" near Dungog and "Warrawee" at Paterson, both currently owned by Ian and Jenny Douglas, may be two very different properties - in terms of both size and type of production - but when used in conjunction with each other, as the current owners have done, they offer impressive potential.
The larger of the two properties is "The Highlands".
Ian Douglas had first purchased an 856 hectares (2144 acres) portion a decade ago, and followed up four years later with the purchase of 584ha (1444ac) to take "The High- lands" to the substantial 1440ha (3558ac) on offer today.
Mr Douglas has usually run about 400 to 450 cows with calves on the property, typically turning off 10- to 11-month-old weaners.
Mr Douglas said there was potential to even further increase the carrying capacity on "The Highlands" to about 500 head.
A major element of the operation has been a fertiliser application program using chicken litter sourced from Mr Douglas' other property "Warrawee", comprising 37ha (92ac), and also currently up for sale.
Mr Douglas said the pastures on "The Highlands" had responded incredibly well to the application of chicken litter.
Up to 110,000 chickens go through "Warrawee" every eight weeks.
On "Warrawee", equipment has been improved, shedding expanded, and solar power has also been added.
The property features a four- bedroom brick veneer house.
Mr Douglas said "Warrawee" had the major benefit of being able to produce "great fertiliser and great hay".
In addition to chickens and lucerne, the property has also been carrying about 50 head of cattle.
He said while both properties would stand up well alone, together they made for an ideal combination with "Warrawee" being able to provide fertiliser and hay for "The Highlands", as well as a good cash flow through the chicken enterprise.
"The Highlands" and "Warrawee" both head to auction on December 11 through Tavis Chivers, Dillon and Sons, Dungog, and David Nolan, Webster Nolan Real Estate, Sydney.
"The Highlands" is situated about 20 kilometres south of Dungog and today offers a total of 50 dams, some of which are spring fed, and has been subdivided into 15 paddocks.
Average annual rainfall is 1000 millimetres.
Improvements have been substantial, with Mr Douglas adding more than 40 small dams to the prop- erty throughout his ownership, as well as new internal roads and fencing.
Infrastructure on the property includes three sets of cattle yards, as well as hay and machinery sheds.
Pasture varieties on "The Highlands" include rye grass, phalaris, clover and cocksfoot.
The property includes a staff amenities shed comprising kitchenette, two resting rooms and a bathroom.
The smaller property, "Warrawee", comprises four chicken sheds, a 10 paddock subdivision, machinery and hay shed, cattle yards and three 20t silos.
Situated just over three kilometres north of Paterson, the property also has Paterson River frontage and a 172 megalitre irrigation license.
"Warrawee" also has a four bedroom brick homestead, featuring a saltwater swimming pool,
Contact Tavis Chivers, (02) 4992 1704, or David Nolan, (02) 8394 8875.