Breeding Philosophy

 At Bannaby Angus we airm to produce absolute premium quality cattle.   Our focus is on the following critical factors:

• Fertility – we consider fertility to be the single most important trait in our breeding program. In our AI and ET programs we look for sires with above average scrotal circumference, and in our natural joining we join for 6 weeks for heifers and 9 weeks for cows. All dry cows are culled, no ifs or buts.
• Calving ease – we consider live calves on the ground are a critical factor in the profitability of any cattle enterprise. We cull any females who have difficulty calving and focus on sires without excessive birthweight EBV’s.
• Structural soundness – All our bulls are independently structurally assessed. Correct feet and legs are essential for longevity, reproductive capability and to maximize beef production. We also independently structurally assess our heifers and mature cows on an annual basis to ensure longevity and productivity within the herd.
• Growth - a key consideration for all cattle producers, we are selling weaners, backgrounding for sale to feedlots or selling direct to feedlots.
• Carcase quality  - is clearly now a major focus for serious cattle producers and one that we are continually focused on.
• Temperament – has a major impact on cattle growth rates and meat quality, as well as making for safer and more relaxed cattle handling. We avoid joining sires with poor temperament and cull all animals displaying temperament issues.
• Doing ability – we focus on joining sires with positive ebv’s for fat cover with the aim of producing cattle that can do well across a range of conditions.
• Herd recording – we are scrupulous in our herd recording. We record birthweights every day of the calving seasons and keep detailed records of all animal weights, scans and structural scores.