To be sustainable, Bulliac Angus principal Ben Hill maintains beef producers must have cattle that are efficient, fertile and structurally correct, allowing them to optimise and maximise the years of production possible from their investment.
“Sustainability shouldn’t come at the cost of profitability,” he said.
“Business can move forward whilst meeting consumers’ demands for eating quality and environmental expectations.
“The continuing global demand for protein and increasing population means we, as beef producers here in Australia, must play our part in this supply chain in a way which is responsible and sustainable.
“After visiting the Food and Hotel Asia Expo in Singapore last year it was evident that our beef is highly regarded.
“We must ensure we continue to maintain this position into the future.”
According to Mr Hill, Angus cattle offer the producer the benefits of meeting MSA requirements, plus earlier finishing and provide an ideal genetic solution for those choosing to be a part of the Emissions Reduction Fund under beef cattle management.
Mr Hill heads a bull breeding operation different to most.
It comprises females owned by the Hill family and runs on the property “Wandaloo” at Miles and agistment that suits the environmental and biosecurity requirements of the operation, plus production units owned by the Bidgood and Swenson families.
The agistment and production units allow for increased numbers of bulls to be produced under the Bulliac management ethos.
All weaner bulls arrive off mum at “Wandaloo” for their development to a sale bull.
This year’s sale of 130 bulls will also include three bulls from Nanango State High School whose herd is founded on Bulliac bloodlines.
They continue to use sires from the Bulliac sire battery.
Bulliac has bred registered Angus for more than 30 years and this year will be the 11th on-property sale held at Miles.
Bulls have previously sold across Queensland and NSW and buyers can attend in person or bid online at either Auctions Plus or Stocklive.
“We believe in providing bulls that will ultimately make our clients more money,” Mr Hill said.
“Our bulls go out and work in some of this country’s harshest environments and not just survive but thrive.
“We raise our bulls so they have the ability to forage. We want them to have eaten the broadest range of grasses and feeds possible, so they are fit and ready to get cows in calf.”
Mr Hill spends a large amount of time searching for sires to create the bulls Bulliac offer.
All are genomically tested and parent-verified.
“We’re trying to take the guesswork out as much as possible,” he said.
“We want to provide bulls that will perform as described.”
He added that for northern producers to get the greatest benefit from using Angus genetics, they needed to retain the females.
The Hills have focused on ensuring their bulls are capable of producing daughters that can be retained and will work in tougher environments.
“We keep a lid on milk and growth,” Mr Hill said.
“The fastest way to get empty females is too much milk and growth in this environment.
“We have one client based in Far North Queensland who remarked just how much the bulls grew out in that environment and thought they would be able to survive anywhere.”
* The Bulliac Sale is on 26 September at 1pm.
Bulls will be available to view the day before or by appointment.
* Free morning and afternoon tea and lunch will be provided, with Elders as selling agents.
* A four per cent agents’ rebate is in place – conditions apply.
