BROOME PARK FARMS in the UK has had to wait 395 years to have one of its cows ranked joint first female for marbling within the UK Angus breed.
An achievement made in partnership with Victoria’s Te Mania Angus – using genetics from its standout homebred sire Te Mania Garth G67.
The 2019 spring calved Aln Diamond Mine V216 first topped her contemporary group of more than 50 females and then led the whole United Kingdom for marbling.
Te Mania Garth is a Te Mania Africa son out of Te Mania Mittagong and V216’s family originates from ACN DMM Diamond Mist 26J / Hyline Right Time 338 imported from Canada. Her dam was sired by a Sitz Upward 307R son.
George Burrell, whose family started Broome Park in 1625, discovered Te Mania Garth while on a tour of New Zealand in 2017.
He said one look at some of his progeny there convinced him this was the bull he and his family had been looking for to boost the genetic profile of their Aln Angus stud at Alnwick in Northumberland.
As soon as he got home he said to his father he had found this fantastic bull they just had to have.
At which his father laughed and pointed to the nitrogen tank which George said “he had already filled with Garth semen”.
“Incredibly we had come to the same conclusion at the same time,” he added.
“We just happened to be on opposite sides of the world when it happened.”
George said seeing the Te Mania Garth progeny made him “the obvious choice for us”.
“Easy doing cattle, leaving progeny that would finish off grass and produce a quality carcase,” he said.
Since introducing the Te Mania Angus semen into their breeding program, Aln Angus has not looked back.
George said they sold out of Garth sons as yearlings; with the young bulls selling down to Cornwall on the South West coast of England and into the Scottish border country.
“They were in demand for their maternal indexes, docility and ability to grow quickly, without leaving large framed animals,” George explained.
“Te Mania Garth G67 also currently ranks in the top 1 per cent of the UK Angus breed for EMA and IMF,” he said.
“His daughters have all been joined and will be staying at Aln Angus and we have more calves by Garth G67 due next year, which we are really looking forward to.”
Te Mania Angus director Tom Gubbins said Garth – who has three generations of Te Mania Angus genetics on both sides – is an Angus sire suitable for heifer and cow joinings, with outstanding temperament, moderate birth weight and exceptional growth curve.
Tom said highly sought after for AI programs, Te Mania Garth is one of the most widely used Angus sire in Australia and has been extensively proved in commercial herds across Australia.
He said the bull had excellent carcase quality, with marbling in the top 1 per cent of the breed.
“His fertility is also in the top 5 per cent and he is a docile chap, with a very quiet temperament as well as being a free-moving sire,” he said.
The Burrells first heard of Te Mania Angus at their local rugby club, of all places, where Tom had been asked to give a talk to local cattle producers.
George said they had also followed the Victorian stud on social media and word of mouth.
“I have never seen him in the flesh but there was a long list of reasons why we liked him,” he said.
“Docility, easy fleshing, fertility, growth to mature size ratio (good growth, with a medium frame) and that’s what he is delivering for us.
“We now have 10 Garth heifers running with the bull and we have one steer left, who will finish at 17 months off grass, having been out wintered at 320kg dead weight.
“The rest of the bull calves were kept intact and sold as yearlings.”
George and his family might have started Broome Park in the 17th century, but Aln Angus is more of a modern day enterprise, founded in 1998 on the cusp of the 21st century.
He said they were expecting to have 220 herd book registered calves next year, targeting the family’s program of fertile, balanced cattle with calving ease and easy finish.
“We emphasise carcase quality and performance off-grass to improve the bottom line for our clients,” George added.
“The majority of our bulls sold will be to commercial herds looking to breed their own replacements and finish their calves themselves from a mainly grass-based diet.”
George said Broome Park Farms also produces wheat and lamb.
