Texas Angus

Breeding Program

Texas Angus has always had a commercial focus on its breeding operation. It has been like this for over 86 years. Currently 1,000 stud Angus females are run in large contemporary groups to gain the most accurate performance data and ease of management. We find this system best suits our management of pastures and time efficiency since there is only a couple of us operating the stud!

Profitability is the key driver of our operation and our herd strives to maximise not only kg/ha but also $/ha without jeopardising carcase quality or fertility. Our ultimate aim is to provide a consistent pleasurable eating experience for consumers through a balanced breeding program overseen with sustainable agricultural principles.

We inseminate up to 80% of the herd to carefully selected world-leading sires to enhance the performance and carcase quality as well as expand genetic diversity. We have undertaken a large ET program for the last 10 years to accelerate the genetic gain of the herd

The selection of AI sires is based on the following criteria;

Docility & phenotype – they must show a powerful sire outlook with plenty of bone, natural muscle, deep fleshing, length with good strong heads.

Good structure including feet and mobility.

Frame score ideally between 6.0 – 7.0.

Balanced EBV’s with plenty of growth, early gestation (the most heritable trait), moderate birth, moderate milk, good EMA & IMF with breed average rib and rump fat. These sires must be tested free of recessive genes, parent verified and geneomically tested.

In conjunction with AI, the best progeny of cows bred to leading world sires are infused back into the herd for further progeny testing. Using Texas-bred sires helps keep a consistent even line and maintain the family bloodlines of the herd. Fertility is one of the most important traits in any breeding program and is a profit driver.

Our herd is run under an intensive grazing program applying pressure on each cow to test the capacity of her genetic traits. Dry times are an excellent test for our herds’ fertility and doing ability. Each year every cow must calve and is classed on the performance of her progeny, which must be of a consistent high standard to avoid culling.

With the introduction of AI, ET & IVF are all used in our breeding program over the last two decades and has changed dramatically in terms of growth, length and weight. The performance and cacase level of the herd has risen substantially whilst still maintaining the softness, fleshing, muscle and fertility. Our sale bulls are born onto raised on either native or raised on sub tropical grasses and sale prepared on oaten crop if the weather is favourable. Over the last 5 years our two-year-old bulls continue to average well over 800kgs with an average frame score of 6.

Carcase Benchmarking

In 2014 Ben and Wendy wanted to benchmark the Texas herd against not only Angus cattle but against all breeds and crosses. They wanted to identify sire and dam lines that were profitable and efficient.  In a nutshell, they wanted to pinpoint the cattle that had high performance in weight gains, excel in the carcase and achieve a consistently high-quality eating experience.

So they entered 3 pens of steers in the 2014 Royal Agricultural (RAS) Beef Challenge at Wilga Feedlot at Bellata NSW. With very little experience in this type of competition and not knowing entries came from very elite seed stock and commercial herds of NSW and QLD, Ben and Wendy basically wanted to gain a greater knowledge of how the Texas genetics performed and use this information to accelerate their genetic breeding decisions.

Photos below are a snap shoot of competing in 3 of Australia’s most prestigious and competitive feeder carcase trials from 2015 – 2024!