James Darling's legacy to continue at Duck Island

With the untimely death of James Darling in an on-farm accident in September last year, Duck Island Composites continues to strive for excellence in his footprint.

Stud principal, Lesley Forwood, is confident that although tragic, Mr Darling's death will not be a diversion from the focus of cattle breeding at Duck Island Composites.

"We will continue to stick with James' same principles of diversity, temperament, structural integrity, and improvement of carcase traits," Ms Forwood said.

Ironically, over recent years, Mr Darling and his partner, Ms Forwood have taken a thorough approach to succession planning.

"We have streamlined and integrated all the various properties we've acquired over 40 years, and established Landscape Beef as the operating entity of our 4500-head Composite herd," Ms Forwood said.

The 10,000 hectare home property is located midway between Keith and the Coorong in watercourse country in the Upper South East of South Australia.

While Duck Island Composites continue to run a largely closed herd, Ms Forwood said they had recently acquired a 50/50 Black Simmental bull from Woonallee Simmentals, as well as two new AI sires.

"We normally would use 50 per cent Black Angus and 50 pc Black Simmental in our heifer AI program, but we are this year trying a 100 pc Black Simmental bull, LBRS Genesis G69, and a 100 pc Angus bull, Rennylea L519, which both exhibit excellent intramuscular fat figures to increase this carcase trait," she said.

HYBRID ADVANTAGE

"Now that we've achieved our goal with our mostly black females, we will now continue to focus on those carcase traits that we have worked towards in the past.

"We need to improve our marbling, which will be our focus over the next couple of years, and also give us 75 pc pure Angus and Black Simmental females that we can use to revitalise our hybrid vigour advantage."

Ms Forwood said the Duck Island herd was now mostly 50/50 Angus and Black Simmental.

"What we are now trying to do is improve our carcase and reintroduce hybrid vigour," she said.

And that is why Ms Forwood believes Duck Island Composites are something very special.

"It has been a painstaking process to take the best of three breeds to create a powerful, impressive meat quality Duck Island Composite that can enhance black cattle performance across southern Australia."

Mr Darling and Ms Forwood had been developing Duck Island Composites for more than 40 years, purchasing the 10,000ha Duck Island property for $3 an acre in 1972.

Nowadays, the 4500-head herd is completely polled, almost all black and meticulously managed by Stockbooks computer program.

Each Composite brings the frame size and milking ability of the Black Simmental, and the wide square back-end, low tail-set and colour of the Angus. This is combined with the fertility and softness of the Angus and Poll Hereford breeds.

Temperament also continues to be the number one priority in the herd, such is the exacting standards that set Duck Island apart.

"After temperament is structure, and then all the performance traits. Any animal with defective structure is culled, and meat quality has been a constant focus," Ms Forwood said.

CARCASE SUCCESS

Landscape Beef won best team of three animals in the Southern Grassfed Carcase Classic competition in 2023 and 2024, as well as second in Team of 10 animals.

For the first time Landscape Beef entered 22 mixed sex vealers.

The top vealer, a heifer, was first in Class One (180-260kg) as well as having seven out of the top 10 in that same class.

Landscape Beef send the bulk of their animals through Teys, however JBS Australia has also been interested in Duck Island Composites due to the number of high MSA index Duck Island cattle in their feedlot.

Growth rates are also a feature of Duck Island Composites, according to Ms Forwood, with steers averaging well over two kilograms a day, and top steers gaining more than 3kg/day on pasture and a ration of silage.

One of the most interesting features of the Duck Island production is calving equal numbers of females twice a year, which is an essential part of their environmental management.

Ms Forwood said the discipline of keeping cover on the ground the whole year, the economic performance of using bulls twice a year, and being able to sell at any time were benefits of that balance.

She understands a lot has changed at Duck Island since Mr Darling moved there in 1976, but is certain it will continue to operate with brilliant on-ground efficiency.

Mr Darling's legacy will endure with a team of farm managers as committed to his pursuit of excellence as the man himself.

Led by farm manager of 18 years, Stuart Rivaz, the team at Duck Island Composites will remain the same.

"We have one pasture renovation specialist and one with environmental focus," Ms Forwood said.

She said they would continue Mr Darling's passion for regenerative farming by planting up to 1000 native trees annually.

2025 BULL SALE

Duck Island Composites will be offering 28 impressive Black Composite bulls at its third annual AuctionsPlus sale from 2pm (South Australian time) on Tuesday, February 11 until 2pm (South Australian time) on Friday, February 14.

All bulls have genetically tested for colour, with 20 of the 28 bulls being homozygous black.