Nestled on the slopes of Victoria’s famed High Country, Luke and Kirsten manage 700 Angus breeding cows across a five-property aggregation, on fertile river flats
Targeting the feedlot market for their steer turnoff, they also sell through saleyards, depending on prices, seasonal conditions, and industry trends.
The Berdue Angus herd dates back 40 years, commenced buying Te Mania sires in 2009., before joining Team Te Mania in 2014.
“Our goal is to focus on our females,” Luke explains. “We aim to produce animals that are not too big, with sound structure, so they can handle our hills. From there, we expect their progeny to grow out well. We turn off our weaners, at around 300kg, and those we carry through for feedlots reach 480kg to 500kg.”
The operation has a split calving season, and Luke says they hope to increase their breeding herd to 800 head.
Always striving to improve the herd, Luke says, is what first led them to join Team Te Mania. Today, they run 12 bulls alongside their AI program.
“After attending the Te Mania Angus bull sales, I was pretty keen on the genetics we were getting,” Luke adds. “At the same time, I was looking to scale up the AI side of our joining program. When you crunch the numbers, the leasing arrangement offers great value, along with the support that comes with it.”
“Being part of Team Te Mania also means you gain the Te Mania brand name, which really helps when it’s time to sell.”
Key details:
- Member of Team Te Mania since: 2015
- Calving periods: March and August-September
