SELLING a number of cattle to different markets is the driving factor behind Adelong’s Yaven Pastoral Company’s success over the years.
Yaven Pastoral Company’s managers Paul and Virginia Turner said they simply cant go past Hereford for breeding cattle.
“We go Herefords because we believe they are the best,” Mr Turner said.
Putting a black bull over their heifers to get low birth weight calves is practiced, using Bongongo stud bulls they hire for natural service.
“We get bulls who throw low birth-weight calves, we have been using Brongogo a long time and we have never had a problem calving,” Mr Turner said.
They usually run around 1000 cattle, not including calves at foot which includes breeders, bulls and a small sum of weaners.
“We have a number of calves coming along now, it works out around one bull to 30 cows,” Mr Turner said.
They sell their weaners between 10 to 12 months-old through the local saleyards or direct.
“This year we sold a big lot to China and another large lot went privately,” Mr Turner said.
“Sixty-five heifers went to direct China, which were sold through H Francis and Co. agents based in Wagga Wagga.
“Another 70 to 80 heifers were kept on the property for future breeding purposes.”
The Turners say they rely on “old fashioned” methods to monitor their stock, relying solely on horses to do their daily cattle work.
“We have fairly hilly country here and we believe working off horses works better for the cattle and us,” Mr Turner said.
At Yaven they use the bloodlines of Caluda, Yavenvale and Greenhills blood. “We always try to use a good bloodline through the herd,” Mr Turner said.
Buyers flock from not only across the state to buy the Yaven cattle in large orders. Areas include Gundagai, Tumut, Albury as well as local buyers. “We have a guy from Albury who took a B-double load of steers this year just after we weaned them, what we had left we sold at the Tumut sale,” Mr Turner said.
The Turners devote Yaven Pastoral Company’s success to the Horsley’s who own the property an created the standard they strive to maintain.
Sisters remain true to “Yaven”
On the outskirts of Adelong lays a 2429 hectare property, owned by the one family since settlement.
The Horsley family have owned Yaven Pastoral Company, a cattle breeding enterprise in the Riverina for a number of years, now after being passed down sisters Mary Burns and Patricia Horsley own the property but have left local man Paul Turner to manage their Hereford enterprise.
“The sisters come here when they want their hide away, its their haven,” Mr Turner said.
“The property has been under the Horsley name since day dot.”
The property was passed down from their father from their grandfather and so forth, a heritage that lay thick in the area for a name that is well- known.
They aim to breed Hereford cattle to a high standard to a variety of markets including overseas buyers.