Birds Farm Tas

SPECIAL INTEREST

Interview by: Tania Paget

What is the name of your stud, the name of the stud owners, location of the stud, size of land on which the stud is based and the main enterprise taking place on the property?

The name of our stud is Birds Farm Tas. because we bought our little farm from my Mum & Dad whose surname is Birds. My ancestors were bought out to Australia as convicts, for stealing a loaf of bread to feed the family, and stealing a hankie (not wanting to be left alone without her partner). My Grandmother was a “war bride”, being married at the Melbourne Docks, before moving to Tasmania. The stud is situated at Pipers Brook on the North Eastern side of Tasmania. Originally purchased from my sister in 2011, the property was only 90 acres, but we have built up now to a holding of 500 acres, with another 700 acres of leased land. The leased land mostly being utilised to build up my commercial herd. I also run 20 purebred females of varying ages up to 6 years old. My husband, Brian, and our 5 Children, Daniel, Amelia (and her son Zac), Matthew, Brian III, and Jacob, all help with the day to day running of the farm, marking calves, moving cattle and fencing etc.

People in Tasmania have been wanting to try Speckle Park Cattle without paying the higher price of purebred bulls, so I have kept a few cross bred bulls. They like the ones that are quiet, fertile and look like bulls. I have sold several bulls in my local area and converted a few neighbours to the breed. Dairy Farms are using the Speckle Park bulls as are a few big local breeders.

My main focus is to show just how versatile the Speckle Park is against all other breeds. I have Herefords, Galloways, Charolais x Angus and Angus cows and F1 Speckle Park. Breeding them up to show other breeders how they cross. I sell the steers as weaners for other people to grow out. In my own breeding program I cull non-productive breeders and animals with horns, bad feet structure and poor temperaments. I will soon have to sell my original cows, or invest in more land, as I am running out of area for them all. “My main focus is to show just how versatile the Speckle Park is against all other breeds.”

How long have you been breeding Speckle Park cattle (crossbreds or stud stock) and what first attracted you to the breed?

I first started breeding Speckle Park in 2015 when we bought our first bull. My husband , Brian, saw an advertisement for a Speckle Park bull in the paper and so we ended up with Hercules. He was from High Low Speckle Park stud, funnily enough from a town called Wattle Grove, in Tasmania.

He was a son of A & W 15R and he grew into a beautiful big bull. Unfortunately he had bad feet and couldn’t walk very well, so he had to go (I cried)The next bull we got was Roscrea Attitude, however he busted his pizzle and was replaced by Roscrea Polar, who jumped off the trailer after a 3 hour trip and got straight to work, and continued on procreating the countryside with Speckles.

We purchased Hillview Rick, and Ersyldene Nitro, whose calves have been consistent and with great temperaments. Then came SOS P70 Mt Eccles Ferdinand whose calves have also been wonderful. My ET bulls, Qadir and Quixote, as well as SOS P70 , are being used over Angus cows.

What is your favourite Speckle Park bull and Speckle Park female in your own herd and why?

My favourite bull is Qadir. He was from an embryo purchased from Fish Creek Farms. He is very gentle, with great feet but does produce some slightly larger calves, so we do not use him over heifers. My favourite cow in my herd is Serendipity. She is not overly big, has plenty of milk and raises a great calf every year.

What is your greatest breeding /showing achievement to date with your Speckle Park cattle?

My greatest showing achievement is with Qadir MAC Q06. My daughter Amelia, and Jaimie Rainbow took him to the local shows, and he won a lot of ribbons. I am also very proud to have embryos by FCF Storm, and have 5 lovely heifers from Fish Creek Farms as well, including 1 by JAD Napoleon. Her name is Riven, and although she has never been handled, I can pat her in the paddock. I also have a lovely heifer by All Out called Rosehill Trinity, and a gorgeous Cause N Effect heifer from Panorama called Royal. All have been embryo calves. I still have more embryos from Doctor’s Creek, Rosehill and FCF to put in yet, just have not had everything line up to do so.

If you could include any Speckle Park bull or female (alive or no longer with us) in your breeding program, who would it be and why?

If I could include any bull in my program……I have straws in my tank from lots of different bulls, including outcrosses, but if I could include any bull it would be Cause N Effect. He looked so gorgeous, quiet and huge when I saw a video of him with people walking around him in Canada. I do have straws of him in the tank, and also a lovely heifer by him and out of Friday Night. If I could choose any cow, it would be Codiak Unique 8R. She seems to have lovely thick progeny. Also, her daughter AAA L5 and your Lauren, WJC L1. Magnificent Cows!

I would like to see my breeding program gain some outcross bulls, cows and heifers and producing outstanding quality animals. I have been researching what will suit my cows, and will hopefully have a mainly purebred herd in 10 years or so, by breeding up my purebred numbers. As well as having a good number of F4 and better cattle.

What is your favourite cut of Speckle Park beef and how do you like it prepared/cooked?

I have not actually eaten my own processed cattle as yet, but my neighbours have, and they tell me it is delicious, very tender, and the best meat they have ever eaten. They process on farm. I have had some Speckle Park steaks from Hanging Rock, and they were delicious.

What is your greatest piece of advice for people getting into the Speckle Park breed?

The greatest piece of advice I can give is to go and visit the studs that you like. The breeders just love showing you their stock. Go and see for yourself.

If you could set up a Speckle Park stud anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

If I could set up anywhere in the world it would be right where I am. I love Tasmania. We never have it really cold. It gets down to Minus 6 in the Highlands, and it never gets really hot either. Never over 33 degrees. Our droughts don’t last long either, maybe a year at the most.

Ideally, what would you like to see the breed as a whole achieve over the next decade?

I would like to see the breed recognised to be as good as Angus, or better, overall. We have to push that side of things. Our animals and products. Put them into feedlot competitions and get the data out there. We have to cull harder for poor feet, bad temperament and low fertility, as well as genetic abnormalities.

What excites you most about the future for the Speckle Park breed?

The part that excites me most about the future of the breed is that it is not just a passing fancy. There is data now starting to come out about the breed, and it is starting to get out into the mainstream. I am starting to see them about in paddocks everywhere. We just need the stock agents to be as passionate about pushing them as a good option, as we all are. I think that is starting to happen more now.