We love the versatility and strengths that this composite tropical breed brings. Droughtmasters are a viable option both on their own and in crossbreeding programs. Bringing their docile nature and carcasse traits to your herd, they're built to improve a producers bottom line in all conditions.
We cull those females who cannot calf unassisted from the breeding herd. It's a feature of the breed and you need to know that the Grey Gum Droughtmasters live up to it.
Droughtmaster producers know first hand that they are renowned for ease of calving. Droughtmasters have inherited the physical traits necessary of pelvic structure and calf size and shape from their Bos Indicus roots. This can be used to great advantage in crossbreeding programs, when joining heifers or if using high growth sires.
These breed characteristics are recorded at every calving event and is generally passed on by the bulls.
We want our heifers to produce a calf at 2 years of age and then every year after that. We directly target EBV's relating to fertility and look for those above average when seeking our sires.
We are proud of the condition that we keep our females in, we give them the best possible chance to reach puberty and oestrus as fast as possible.
Given the right nutrition, Droughtmaster females mature as early as any tropical breed and it is common to see them joined as yearlings if given the nutritional support. This early start in breeding, plus their ability to forage efficiently in all environments provide them with the ability to produce calves year on year.
We select bulls and dams that stand on good bone structure so that you know their offspring can carry the weight. The bulls we select must show strong growth EBV's and our dams must milk well enough to look after their calves AND also themselves up to weaning.
The Bos taurus ability for high growth is firmly embedded in the Droughtmaster. Their Shorthorn component has allowed them an ability for high milk production. A balance must be struck during our selection of suitable dams to ensure they don't produce milk to their own detriment. But this has allowed the Droughtmaster cow to produce heavy weaners, despite low birth weights.
We want our cattle to go anywhere you ask them and to thrive. We may not breed in the harsh, unforgiving outback paddocks but our animals have to contend with buffalo fly, are bred in the ticks, reared on forest blocks with wild dogs and lantana and have to traverse hills and gullies to get to water. Our sub-tropical climate puts their hardiness to the test in the spring and summer.
This versatility is another reason we have chosen to be Droughtmaster breeders. Droughtmasters are known to have lower nutritional requirements combined with high feed conversion rates while also carrying a strong tolerance to hot and harsh environments. They will consistently retain condition and continue to breed.
The correlation between flight time and the quality and quantity of meat on a carcasse has been proven. Droughtmaster has only started tracking this trait via EBV’s in the past year and we are one of the only herds recording this in the whole breed. If an animal is easily stressed or flighty, it's culled. We select sires who portray the right temperament so we can handle the animal with ease and you can to. Droughtmaster dams are known for their mothering instinct and we hold them to that.
Selection for docility has occurred from the beginning a premium is placed upon it. The pioneer breeders selected bulls for this combined with high libido. These characteristics shine through today, as a result the good bulls are easy handling and consistently perf
For more information, visit the society's own website. Visit the breed section for more detailed information about the strengths and characteristics of the Droughtmaster.
https://www.droughtmaster.com.au