THEY'RE quiet and they're performers, just how Anna Green likes her Angus breeding herd.
Predominantly a Merino breeding enterprise for generations, the Green family has moved with the times, not nesting their eggs in the same basket, but investing in acquiring property when the opportunity arose and became mixed farmers, adding cropping to their wool growing, Merino prime lamb production, and Mrs Green's Angus herd based from Ollieview, Parkes.
It's been 18 years since Mrs Green and her husband Richard invested in Angus cattle, buying 44 heifers at the Q Angus dispersal held at Forbes saleyards in 2001.
These were bred on Willalooka blood by the late Mark Grimson, a former Dalgety agent.
Purchases came about after the Greens bought an adjoining property which had been a cattle grazing enterprise for many decades.
Lacking permanent water, the family quickly set up watering systems throughout from a bore on Olieview and grew grazing crops for fodder, hay and grain retention.
"We grew them out then joined them to Netta Holmes Noonee Angus bulls," Mrs Green said.
"The result in the progeny was outstanding.
"Their performance was excellent and set us up for the herd we have today."
While Richard and their two sons, David and George, run the self- replacing Haddon Rig-blood Merino flock, plus crop other property in the Trundle district, Mrs Green sticks with her herd of 200 Angus breeders.
Heifers are classed and are joined to calve at two years of age, Mrs Green said.
"I have a strong emphasis on maternal lines which produce consistent, profitable soft progeny.
"Every cow has to earn her place in the herd by being sound, easy-doing, and produce a soft, sappy weight-for-age calf every 12 months.
Every cow has to earn her place in the herd by being sound, easy-doing, and produce a soft, sappy weight-for-age calf every 12 months.
- Angus breeder Anna Green, Ollieview, Parkes
"Longevity is valued with some cows still sound and productive at 15 years."
Each cow's performance is tracked and all heifer calves are sire and dam identified by joining records and tagged accordingly.
"Foot structure is important as any faults show up quickly in our soft country," Mrs Green said.
"In good seasons we send our cows and heifers up into the hilly country nearby and that gets them to walk, stretch out, extend - all good for their feet."
Calving is in July and August while heifers calve in June to give them extra time to pick up prior to the next joining.
Calves are sold as weaners, from eight to 10 months of age, and 60 per cent of the heifer drop is kept as replacements.
Steers at eight to nine months could weigh in at the late 300 kilogram mark, up to 400kg in a good season, she said.
"But the tops will average 360kg to 380kg without grain, weaned and marketed through the Forbes selling complex."
Mrs Green said she tries to run a no-fuss operation as the cattle are about 20pc of the family business.
While the herd is located at the two adjoining properties, it competes with 2000 Merino ewes plus two to three drops of Merino wethers on the western country with cereal cropping making up 25pc on the 1500 hectares at Trundle farms.
Mrs Green said she has enjoyed a lot of profitable times from her easy-care herd.
"They're easy-doing and very quiet in nature. Temperament is number one here.
"You cannot stress enough how important it is to go into a mob that accepts you without fuss."
