The development of the “Droughtie” breed started in 1910, when three Zebu Bos indicus bulls were sent north to graziers from the Melbourne Zoo. In 1926 Mr. R.L. Atkinson saw the remarkable robustness of these animals in the harsh conditions and set about developing a breed that had the attributes to withstand the severe environment of the tropics but in the right proportions to retain the benefits offered by the British breeds, the Bos taurus. Over the next decades, Atkinson also trialed the joining of red Brahman bulls to Shorthorns and Devon-Shorthorn cross females. The best quarter-bred progeny were selected for retention in the breeding herd. This process was carefully carried on over the years in a ‘grading-up’ program. During the 1940’s Mr. Bob Rea also commenced developing a herd suitable for the Queensland environment, he was instrumental in the creation of the Droughtmaster breed. Those were the pioneering days, and creating a new breed was not only a great challenge, it also severely ‘rocked the boat’ of conventional cattle breeding, in what was a very traditional and conservative industry. Nevertheless, the pioneer breeders persevered, and through careful culling and selection of progeny from the crossing of Bos indicus and Bos taurus genetics, the Droughtmaster breed evolved. These pioneer Australian cattlemen created a docile, fertile and productive carcass yielding, easy-care breed that can bounce back when the rain finally comes, that have instinctive foraging abilities and adaptability, that are parasite and disease resistant, are economical to manage, and very importantly of great eating quality that benefits to all sections of the beef industry, the DROUGHTMASTER, which was recognised by the Queensland National Trust as a Queensland icon in 2006. Ready, Willing and Able… in ALL Seasons. *Taken from excerpts from the Droughtmaster Societies literature.

So with that history lesson out of the way, you need to know that our cattle actually came with our farm. They are our greatest teachers. They know the land, they know the routine and they know how to behave when yarded and in the crush. We were here for no more than a month when we doubled the amount of hooves on the ground. And where did we go to acquire this new 12 month old herd? None other than Amberwood Droughtmaster Stud, less than 10kms down the road, distant relatives of the cows we have today. Throughout this time, our new herd has run alongside the old, showing them (and us) the ropes. Now most cattle farmers will tell you “wait until she’s two before she has her first calf” however, we choose to wait until she’s two before we even put the bull in her paddock, giving her that extra time for her frame to grow.

And then there’s Calvin Klein, our registered lowline Black Angus bull. So what is a lowline and why did John run one with the Droughties? A lowline simply means he has shorter legs than standard and well, John was a doctor and wanted to make sure, for the benefit of the cow, that there were no birthing obstructions whatsoever AND of course to give that marbling to the meat that Angus are deliciously renowned for.

The way we run our cattle differs from other farmers. Others may say they let their stock roam free and have minimal interaction to reduce stress. Although this method seems ideal in a welfare sense, the practicality and science behind it lead us to differ. On the contrary, we choose to cell graze and have as much interaction with our herd as we can. And cell grazing, if you ask the old timers, is the right way to go. What is cell grazing? It’s when you divide your paddocks into small sections “cells” with electric fencing. Its more work of course, but it allows the cattle to completely finish a cell in a small amount of time before we move them onto the next. This ensures three things: That the cattle aren’t fussy - you can’t afford fussy cows when there’s a bad season. To stop the worm cycle - the cows are moved on as soon as they’ve finished a cell (to our liking, not theirs) so it could be up to 70 weeks before we have animals grazing on that pasture again. Also to give the ground time to rest - we have the welfare of the land to think about too. If we want the grass to keep growing, thick and as nutrient filled as possible, you might only expect that if you don’t have 700kg cows trampling on it all day long. Another reason is because when you move cattle, they get excited like they’re going on a holiday - it’s true! So when they arrive at their destination, they’re happy and head straight to the buffet!

And the reason we visit them everyday and talk to them (sure they receive some verbal abuse from time to time) is so that if one cuts its neck on a fence for example and needs assistance or when its time for treatments such as fly & tick prevention applications, 7in1 vaccinations and branding, we can get them into the crush without issue and stress. We have such a relationship with them that they let us go right up to them and their newborn calves. We believe this is also beneficial on the day they leave us for the Abattoir. We saw this firsthand on the day we took our first beast to slaughter. Our girl walked down the ramp and into the pen to the delight of the on watching workers as they said ‘I wish they were all like that’. So you can keep in mind that the theory of ‘meat from a beast under stress at time of slaughter could presume to be tough’ should not apply here.

We do not have that knowledge that gets passed down from generational farming, we have to read about it, and live it and learn as we go. We listen to our neighbours whose ancestors have been farming here since Queensland was colonised. They know, for example, when to burn, have a more reliable prediction than the BOM of the weather and cloud patterns and can tell you what day the frost will hit, or the only way to get rid of Fireweed is to pull it. We study constantly the DPI (Department of Primary Industries) and MLA (Meat & Livestock Aust.) websites for updates and new information, and to make sure we are all up to date with licensing and registrations, and we were left the Holy Book According to John - a USB filled with files on everything from Grape growing and winemaking, how to administer drugs intravenously, to maps of the underground pipework from when his Agronomist ‘designed’ the farm - that’s right, designed it! He took 200 acres of unimproved land and completely transformed it into a property that can be managed by one person. All of our paddocks (15) meet via laneways, to a central roundabout. To move the cattle, you go to the roundabout, open the gate of the paddock in which you want the cattle to move to, and then the gate of the paddock they’re in, and hey presto, you’re done. These laneways then become cells themselves. Dams were built on the natural watercourses, and contours laid to slow water down when it rains. 4,000 native timber ‘telegraph’ trees were planted in two forests to aid in carbon neutralisation, provide shade and financial investment should we choose to harvest when they mature in 10 years.