“I never really had a choice,” Kate Schoen explained when queried about her affection for the Angus breed.
“My parents have the Orlanga Angus stud, and I think I am so lucky to be involved with Angus and am really excited about the breeds future.”
In partnership with her husband, Murk, who is the third generation on ““Killeneen”, Corowa, owned by the Schoen family for the past 40 years, Mrs Schoen is developing their own Angus herd.
She is the fifth generation of her family to be involved with the land at Camden, and studied agriculture at high school.
Mr Schoen gained a diploma in agriculture at the Thurgoona TAFE, and with an abiding interest in farming, returned to the family farm after working in other farming businesses across NSW.
“I was destined to be a farmer,” he said.
“I started with the Angus Youth Roundup which is a great network, meeting like-minded people and being mentored by respected Angus breeders.”
It was through the network, of which Mr Schoen is a coordinator for the 2018 Angus Youth event to be held in Wodonga, the passionate young Angus couple met.
And with the support of each of their families, they are deeply committed to breeding better Angus.
On their 1600ha property, they currently run 2000 crossbred ewes and grow hay for export to compliment their herd of Angus cows.
“We have 150 breeders and also feedlot up to 150 heifers,” Mrs Schoen said as she explained.their operation.
“We contract embryo transplants from all breeds into our recipient cows and contract raise the calves through to 200 days.”
Mrs Schoen said the calves are returned to their clients, and payment is guaranteed on pre-arranged terms.
“We can budget on that cash-flow, and with our feedlot, we get to see a variety of breeds and can see which are the better performers,” she said.
However, their commitment to the Angus breed is resolute as they look to their future, and continue with five different cow lines to work alongside the established Orlanga stud herd, now based at Holbrook.
“We have the first calves from our own embryos on the ground, which is very exciting,” Mrs Schoen said.
Embryos the start for young breeders
With their obvious dedication to the Angus breed, Murk and Kate Schoen, “Killeneen”, Corowa, are now seeing their commitment come to fruition with the first embryo transplant calves born.
They had been gifted two embroyos of their choice from Stephen and Amity Chase, Waitara Angus, Trangie and Mr Schoen had also been awarded a flush from Bulliac Angus, Miles, Qld, at his last Angus Youth Roundup.
“We had the pick of the Bulliac cows and it was our choice of sire,” Mrs Schoen said. “We have a heifer calf and are very impressed with her.”
Consolidating their herd, the Schoen’s purchased in partnership with Stephen and Amity Chase, their pick of the Wattletop Angus, Guyra dispersal, NWPJ29 a daughter of Silveiras Conversion 8064 who was sired by Te Maina Africa A217
