Janet Brooks with the Karingal herd. Photo by Denis Brooks
After a 37 year career in the dairy industry Denis and Janet Brooks have slowly transitioned to a British White beef herd at their northern Victorian farm in Waaia Victoria.
The Karingal British White stud started out five years ago with the purchase of the family farm from Denis’s brother. The 367-acre property, formerly an operational dairy farm is now home to 45 British White females and 8 British White bulls and well as a vibrant lucerne and cereal hay operation.
Denis and Janet worked on dairy farms and share farmed with a good friend for many years before Denis grabbed an opportunity to work for, then become a partner in Numurkah Nugenes.
The business covered multiple aspects of the dairy industry including, artificial insemination (AI), synchrony programs, milk sampling, dehorning, freeze branding and much more. The business grew from strength to strength and now has offices in three states.
After 27 years with Nugenes Denis decided to apply his skills in the genetics word towards starting his own beef cattle stud at their newly acquired property.
While searching for a suitable breed, Janet was drawn to British White cattle. Their size, docile temperament, foraging ability, fertility, being polled and of course their looks made them a very attractive choice. After reading about their history Janet was sold and the search for a foundation herd began.
The Brooks secured their foundation herd of six cows with calves at foot and three bulls from a nearby breeder who was downsizing due to work commitments, Karingal British Whites was established.
Of course, Denis has been able to apply his extensive genetic herd improvement skills to source genetics that meet their breeding objectives and program and AI his cows himself to quickly increase his female numbers.
Over the past few years, they have bought sexed semen for their AI program along with cattle from some of the top studs in the breed to grow their herd quickly. They aim to run a purebred herd of 50 breeders and replacements and a few quality bulls.
They currently run a selection of Angus commercial cows few other mixed breeds, with an intent over the next two years run 100 per cent British Whites.
Denis said they sell the British White bulls to dairy herds that he used to deal with as they are polled, with great temperaments and run extremely well with heifers and the dairy world loves them.
Their own steer portion, bred from their commercial herd, are sold through Shepparton saleyards in the same pen as their Angus commercial steers and generally sell in the top or second top pens in their category every time, and record the same prices as their Angus mates!
They sell them as vealers and yearlings through to 500 kilograms and finish them off with supplementary feeding, feeding them for the last 100kg on grain and quality hay to give them that really nice finish.
Denis said the British White breed was originally a dual-purpose beef and dairy breed which is why they are such great mothers with excellent milk production providing thriving calves with rapid weight gain. Janet added they are great little mothers and I have noticed that they have retained the “nursery herd” instinct they are renowned for, often seeing one cow looking after several calves while the other cows are off grazing.
“The local community have also shown great interest. We live on a main road and when we move the herd to another paddock off the main road, we often get asked by locals and school kids on the bus, where the cute cows and calves have gone,” she said.
Since joining the British White Cattle Society of Australia Denis and Janet have been humbled by the assistance and guidance offered by fellow members. Many friendships have been made. “People were so receptive to us joining and helping us in the early days and it has been fundamental to our overall positive experience with the breed and fellow breeders.”
Denis was recently elected to the Board of the Society. He is now keen to be part of providing the same positive experience to anyone else looking to get into this wonderful breed and the positive and growing membership.
