Cattle

I had a little Brahman calf born recently and thought this would be a great time to introduce my small herd.

Less than a year ago I was fortunate enough to buy myself a small herd of Brahman and Brahman-cross cattle.  So far it has been a bit of a 'mixed bag' in that they were supposed to not be in calf.  There have been been four calves born so far.  These are all blessings of course, although my aim is to make sure they are all on the same calving cycle for next season.

Now with my source of beef secured, I am looking to increase the size of the herd steadily over the next two to three years as a source of meat and also income.

Brahman cattle are not common within Victoria, Australia.  There are many reasons for this, although a main reason is the cooler weather.  Many people have asked me, why Brahman?

I find the discussion of cattle breeds very interesting, as there is no one ultimate breed for all conditions.  If there is a positive trait in a breed, there will all so be a negative - so for me it becomes a case of selecting the right breed based on traits that suit your climate, the type of land you are farming, and the way you are looking to farm.

It is the 'forgiveness' Brahmans provide that appeals to me.  There will undoubtedly be many challenges ahead, drought, flood, fire and in between there will be times of total serenity.  With the Brahman's amazing tolerance for heat, the ability to convert grass that is unpalatable to other species and their longevity, it is a solid base for me to 'bend but not break' during those tough times.  As I become more attuned to the land and build the herd, I will look to cross breed breed in the future, but for now I hope these foundations will be a great to build on.