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1962
We guarantee our cattle
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Amberley Park
Malcolm & Carol
Cock
“Amberley Park”, 2620
Grand Ridge Rd., Hallston, Vic. 3953
Ph/Fax: 03 5668
5166 Mobile: 0418 316 009
Email:
caromalcock@bigpond.com
www.amberleyparkbeef.com.au |
|
BULL SHEET
No.4 January 2008
Carol
& I hope this letter finds you well and that you had
a good Spring and may 2008 be good for all.
Beef
Week:
Amberley Park is part of Beef Week once again. So
all are invited to visit on:
Day
7, Sunday 3rd February.
If you can’t make it on Sunday, you are welcome any
other time, and if you need directions or have other
queries, please give us a call.
Sale
Toppers:
Clients Joyce & Fred Muller like most people have
had a very hard time with the drought (as per T
shirt) but it would appear by the smiles that they
are happy with the performance of their calves at
the Yea Sale. Nearby winery Tahbilk
produces a great Shiraz. Hard to beat the
combination of top beef & wine!
Female
Selection
(I’m talking about cattle only!!!) ‘workshop’ at
Amberley Park: held in August on a cool day
(hard to believe in the current heat!) with approx
25 beef producers attending. Feedback was positive
and I also enjoyed presenting it! Thanks to DPI for
support.
Genetic Treasure Hunt in Scotland:
With
all breeds, I believe that it is important to
maintain a wide spread in the gene pool. The
selection criteria for beef production in the areas
of: environment, markets and production are always
changing. For example there is doubt re economics of
feeding grain to cattle instead of vehicles or
heaven forbid, people! Now off the soapbox: we again
saw some great Galloway cattle in Scotland,
including some bulls that would suit our
requirements at Amberley Park. We saw some very nice
Angus X Galloway (Buchan Blacks or should I call
them Scottish Black) Cows with Blonde calves at foot
at Alastair & Claire Gourlay’s hill farm. See
below. A big thankyou to all who hosted us in
Scotland.
Preg
Testing:
A
good cost benefit practice? It is, if performed by a
very accurate practitioner and you
cull the empties.
At AP
we preg tested 120 head (including heifers) with
only four cows empty which we are happy about
considering the year and a bull injury. The cost was
approx $3.50 a head. Tips: Don’t do it when it is
hot, don’t stress the practitioner, workers (Carol)
or cattle, test after first trimester, permanently
identify any empty, and sell. Result; very fertile
herd and no “free loaders”.
Early
Weaning:
As
mentioned in Bull Sheet No.3 we early-weaned our C
calves. This allowed our cows to get through the
lean feed time at less cost and in better condition.
We had the cost of supplying high quality feed
(silage & some pellets)to the weaners until paddock
feed was available. Our 400 day weights were very
similar to the previous years’ drop. Advantages:
less drought feed costs, more preg cows, weaners
used to handling.
Angus
Sire: at Amberley Park
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Strathewen New Dimension 7127
Z Z04 (AI) Now that’s a lot of letters after
his name! we just call him Zorro. His
progeny are very well ‘trait balanced’.
 |
 |
Our
bull line up for 2008 consists of Shorthorns,
Galloways, Angus and Buchan Blacks. Performance
recorded since 1965 under commercial conditions.
Good genetics is like sex; “use it or lose it”.
All
you have to do is define Good Genetics and how it
relates to your herd, markets, environment etc.
Don’t
forget our web page.
Mal & Carol
Galloways
– Shorthorns
– Angus
–
Buchan Blacks |
|
|
1962
 We
guarantee our cattle
|
Amberley Park
Malcolm & Carol
Cock
“Amberley Park”, 2620
Grand Ridge Rd., Hallston, Vic. 3953
Ph/Fax: 03 5668
5166 Mobile: 0418 316 009
Email:
caromalcock@bigpond.com
www.amberleyparkbeef.com.au |
|
BULL SHEET
No.3 July 2007
Carol & I hope this
letter finds you well and that you have received
some good Autumn rains. For those who have suffered
the fires, the drought and now floods and their
continuing effects, our thoughts go to you. We are
offering a two-part payment for bulls purchased to
help cashflow and to keep bulls at Amberley Park
until required by you.
We have been at
Hallston now for 15 mths and have found the weather
very similar to East Gippsland: dry! Buchan has had
three times the rain we have had since we
came here, although the last month has been a
‘normal’ Sth Gippsland winter. We have made very few
changes here as we are familiarizing ourselves with
our new home and the area, but we are missing our
old friends. As with Buchan, the country side is
beautiful and the people friendly or is that the
other way around!
On August 22nd
at 10 am at Amberley Park is a ‘workshop’ on
female selection for your herd, everyone is most
welcome; could you let us know if you are coming.
|
Amberley Park
Lady McBeth at 13 years |
Amberley Park
Fashion at 10 years |
Genetic Treasure
Hunt!
We are heading for
Scotland in September looking for some new Galloway
genetics. In 2004 we saw some excellent cattle there
and will follow up on how they have bred since.
Good $ returns from
heifers:
The weight gain,
carcass yield and quality of our Buchan Black and
Blueroan heifers resulted in good $ returns in a
difficult year. The tops: 450 – 480 kg @ 14 mths,
the later drop sold to Gippsland Natural, feedback:
MSA, 225 cwt, ema: 70, fat: 9, $745 / head.
Early Weaning
Due to the dry and
the change from Spring to Autumn calving, we weaned
our calves early , at approx 6 mths. The calves are
doing well and the cows have been maintained on much
poorer feed. We will see how they have performed
when we do their 400 day weights.
Web Page:
amberleyparkbeef.com.au
Amberley Park now
has a WWW page at the above address. There is a fair
bit of refining to do yet, but at least you can see
the photos in colour!
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A big robust bull,
approx. 1300 kg with good mobility and a
great temperament. He has produced a very
productive line of white & soft roan bulls.
His heifers are very well grown and look the
part, but until they calve, they have not proven
themselves.
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CAS X51 |
Birth
Wt.
|
200
Day
Wt.
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400
Day
Wt.
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600
Day
Wt.
|
Mat.
Cow
Wt.
|
Milk
|
Carcass
Wt.
|
|
EBV |
+4.8 |
+32 |
+38 |
+52 |
+50 |
+10 |
+33 |
|
Breed Avg. EBVs
for 2005 born Calves |
|
EBV |
+2.7 |
+20 |
+27 |
+37 |
+38 |
+4 |
+26 |
|
 Caskieben Rocky X51 |
|
 R
P 3rd Bushwacker
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R P 3rd
Bushwacker: a son (Yancowinna Y4) out of a
Hingala 469 daughter used at AP for Angus
and Buchan Blacks.
EBV Trait Leader in:
200, 400, 600 day Wt.
Milk,
Scrotal, days to calving,
Carcass
Wt, Retail Beef Yield.
Y4’s sale bulls are
showing great performance. His Angus
daughters are yet to prove themselves re
their female traits, but are looking great.
Some of his Buchan
Black daughters have been sold to Qld to be
joined to Wagyu. Others were up to 480kg at
14 months sold to Gippsland Natural. |
|
Buchan Black Bry Y44 (MW
1100 kg)
One of the sires used
at AP producing Buchan Blacks
Line bred to TeMania Ragamuffin R144. |
Amberley Park Easyrider W18
(MW 1000kg)
Sire of our Galloway sale bulls. Some of
his daughters have been sold to Qld & NSW. |
Like everyone, Carol
and I are looking forward to a good long Spring.
Here at ‘Amberley Park’ Hallston, there is a very
good selection of bulls available for inspection and
don’t forget our two- part payment plan and free
delivery within 300 klm in Victoria.
We won’t be at
Hallston for three weeks in September but give us a
call and leave a number or email and we will make
contact asap.
For those travelling
we have a couple of spare bedrooms, good steaks and
red wine.
Shorthorns – Angus
–Galloways – Buchan Blacks |
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Newsletter
Number 2
By the time everyone receives this newsletter we hope we all
have received good Autumn rains, Sth Gippsland has and East is still
very dry... hoping for rain! It is amazing how much the weather
affects life on the farm… although I believe we have much less
control with market prices.
This newsletter was due pre Christmas but it was just as busy
after the property sale as it was before! With clearing sale,
selling cattle and sheep, and packing to move; after 33 years it is
amazing how much stuff had been horded!
To bring you up to date:
Property sold to Rob & Sam Stoney (also own Wulgulmerang Station)
and have taken over as at beginning of March. Campbell & Lacretia
Greig have been appointed managers. We wish them all the best with
their new venture.
The Property name: “Amberley Park” will be travelling with Carol &
I and our stud cattle to our new home which is at Hallston (
just north of Leongatha ) address being “Amberley Park” 2620
Grand Ridge Rd, Hallston, 3953. Phone numbers are Ph /
Fax 03 5668 5166, Mobile: 0418 316 009.
Our ex Buchan property is reverting back to a former name:
“Kingsleigh Station.” Our cattle are still being run there until
May 25th and like everyone else looking for an Autumn
break! It's looking more like a winter break!!
Gippsland Grazing Trials: Over the history of the Trials,
our steers have won the weight gain, carcass and overall sections
and are always near the top performances. Once again this year we
were in the placings for weight gain & carcass yield & quality.
Farm World Field Days at Warragul are held each year at Lardner
Park, if you haven’t been, allow a day to have a look. While you are
there call into our site (A11) in the middle of the cattle section
for a cuppa or cool drink, rest your tired feet and have a chat; it
will be good to catch up.
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Amberley
Park Harpoon W31; sire of our current sale Shorthorn bulls.
His heifers are also a top line. |
King Island:
I have recently returned from judging the prime carcass
competition on King Island and would like to thank the King Island
Show Society for inviting me to judge.. It was easy to see why King
Island Beef has such a good reputation: Grows high quality feed all
year round, mild climate, local meat works so stock only have short
travel time to the works and most are sold direct to the works. MSA
ideal!
Amberley Park Powerhouse X27 on Paul & Julie Gardiner's King Island
farm.
I would like to especially thank Ian Lester and Denise O’Keefe
for their kind hospitality and those others who took their time to
show me their cattle and farms. A common comment was; “Its normally
not this dry” !! My reply being; “you don’t know what dry is” for
there was still plenty of green feed around except on the sand
dunes!
Mountain Calf Sales:
Having missed last year's sales I was looking to being there this
year, but alas; I was back on crutches again! So missed the best
line up of weaners you would see anywhere in the world. I still
don't know how they do it up there, while still recovering from the
fires and a sudden end to the season, and now dry & cold.
Congratulations to all our clients. If you haven't been to the
mountain sales give us a call next Feb to arrange travelling together.
Galloway Sale Bulls:
Amberley Park Z bulls are sired by Diamond B Legacy (CDN) by AI &
Amberley Park Billabong V18.
First
progeny in Australia by Legacy. AP has already used a son last year.
Buchan Black Sale Bulls:
Amberley Park Maximus (Hazeldean blood), Amberley Park Master (Te
Mania blood) and Buchan Black Sitting Bull W6. These sires have
produced a good range of bulls to choose from to suit what ever
breeding program and market is the target.
Shorthorn Sale Bulls:
All
our Roan bulls are sold and only a few good White bulls available.
Diamond B
Legacy (Canada) : AI Galloway Sire (AI) of Z Bulls at Amberley Park
Amberley Park Galloway Herd reduction:
When
we sold our home of 33 years I didn't realise how hard it was going
to be to part with ¾ of the Galloway Herd. It helped that the cattle
went to beef producers in 3 states who will let them do what they
do best: produce prime beef & breeders efficently. Thankyou.
Hope
to see you at our new home: Amberley Park, Hallston,
Mal & Carol
Cock
