WHITEFACE cattle are allowing Michael and Anna Coughlan to meet the weaner market, and a premium grass-fed market with their cull heifers.
The Coughlans join 4000 breeders each year over two properties, the 4400-hectare Mt Narra Narra Station, Holbrook, and Tarabah, a 17,000ha property near Morundah.
They run a low cost, efficient, self-replacing Hereford herd, producing weaners for AuctionsPlus or the Barnawartha saleyards.
"When things are tough, the Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange is a great clearing place, but AuctionsPlus is good when the market is good," Mr Coughlan said.
"They're good, profitable cattle, and if you look at a lot of the benchmarking, Hereford herds are right up there, depending on management."
The Coughlans have been breeding Herefords since 1967 and they've used Wirruna genetics for more than 30 years, selecting bulls for calving ease, with moderate birthweight, moderate growth, large scrotal circumference and good structure.
"We've got an easy care herd with no calving problems, which I solely attribute to Wirruna," Mr Coughlan said.
"They don't chase fads — they've got a vision on what they want to do and that's meeting the commercial cow herd market.
"We're also looking for a stud that we believe has integrity in their program, where the cattle are run like a commercial operation."
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The Coughlans concentrate on fertility, joining 90 per cent of their heifers and culling based on their performance as mothers.
"We cull anything that's not in calf, anything that needs help calving, and heifers that don't bring a live calf to marking.
"We don't buy specific heifer bulls, and because we have planned rotational grazing, we want bulls to join to cows and heifers."
Rotational grazing has resulted in improve organic matter in the soil and "terrific groundcover", Mr Coughlan said.
Cattle are moved every day at Holbrook, and every two days on the western block.
The western country is mainly perennial native grasses, with wild oats, ryegrass and medics, while the Holbrook block has native and phalaris country.
"We're trying to build healthier, more resilient, diverse country for our cattle to run on," Mr Coughlan said.
"We don't feed any hay, so they have to perform."
The Coughlans sell their joined heifers that have been preg-tested dry to the Greenhams Never Ever pasture-fed program.
"That's another reason we're happy with the Herefords — they fit that grass-fed market really well."