Why Buy Y3K

Why Buy Y3K Brahmans ?

Just some of the reasons to buy Y3K Brahman cattle includes:

Why Buy Y3K Brahmans:

  1. Their calving ease and calf shape,
  2. Great udders,
  3. Fertility and Productivity,
  4. Their Natural Docility,
  5. Polled Genetics without Polled Faults,
  6. Structural Soundness and Integrity,
  7. A Pedigree Guarantee with 100% of the herd DNA tested,
  8. Preparation for success with:
    1. Morphology testing of all bulls,
    2. Weaner Treatment
    3. Full Inoculations
  9. Genetic consistency,
  10. Market relevance, and the;
  11. Development of a Pure Brahman Commercial Herd.

1. Calving Ease and Shape

Something we have concentrated on for the 40 years we have been breeding stud cattle. 

We aim for very small calves (between 20kg & 30kg) and mostly succeed with this. 

However, by maintaining correct calf shape, any that are born 30kg to 40kg are born easily and up sucking and bucking within the first hour of life.

2. Great Udders

Vitally important. The photo demonstrate where we want our whole herd to be and we are nearly there. This is not about only getting smaller, more even teats that will never get large or bottle but also about udder size and milk production. 

We are striving for these smaller udders with better quality milk. 

This is a win win situation, not only better udders but we feel is linked with quicker reproduction times between calves as the cow can maintain weight better if she’s not producing massive amounts of milk.

3. Fertility & Productivity

Maximise production & profit by having fertile and functional animals that produce.  Females with a live calf every year and bulls that deliver plenty of strong healthy calves is the goal.  There is certainly plenty of factors that contribute to this outcome. 

A full inoculation program to help keep diseases out of the herd & as previously mentioned calf shape & size etc but we feel there is also a genetic link and these are the female lines we are looking to continue breeding with.

4. Natural Docility

This is vitally important for so many reasons.  For one, it just makes mustering and working in the yards easy, safe and enjoyable.  More importantly though is its links with meat quality and tenderness and production.  Naturally quiet cattle graze better and eat better. 

Again, this is something we’ve always bred for.  This is one area we feel we are excelling.  We were very pleased to see that Y3K Billionaire 9002 (PP) is now sitting in the Top 5% of the Breed for Flight Time.  We have found his calves to be the most naturally quiet calves of the season.

5. Polled Cattle without Polled Faults

There has been plenty of apprehension in the industry to use polled cattle due to the faults within them.  Since integrating polled genetics into our herd we’ve been extremely selective with what we’ve used being mindful to not introduce the typical polled faults into our herd.  We feel we’ve been extremely successful to date. 

Two of the last 4 sires we’ve purchased were outstanding horned bulls.  We are not breeding polled for the sake of polled, we are purchasing what best suits our needs to fulfil our Aim of breeding World Class Polled Red Brahmans.

6. Structural Soundness & Integrity

This is an important factor in longevity and productivity of animals.  We’ve worked extremely hard on getting this right.  Getting good bend in those back legs and with ample leg length for ease of walking.  We have found our fed sale bulls now don’t need their feet trimmed.  We have also maintained correct shoulders, body shape and rump angle (important for females to keep the cervix correctly tilted for easy birth) and great feet and legs with front and back legs tracking for ease of walkability. 

For the last decade our 2 year old sale bulls have been between 128 & 138 square centimetres in the Eye Muscle.  We have not been striving for 150cm EMA for fear of thickening up the calves too much and causing birthing problems.

7. Pedigree Guarantee (100% of Herd DNA Tested)

This is for peace of mind for us and anyone that purchases our genetics.  The importance of this was further highlighted when we DNA tested an IVF calf and his sire and dam were not correct.  Human error nearly caused us to keep a bull and use him over his mother and sisters. 

Furthermore, it prevents any errors with paddock matings too.  We should soon have a profile for every female in the herd so that what you buy is 100% the correct pedigree.  DNA testing also allows for Breedplan Figures for those that are interested in that.

8. Set Up For success

Our whole program is about setting up all our animals for success. 

  • Firstly, we wean all calves at 6 months of age.  From here they go onto a small grain ration for a couple of months.  This is all about developing their Rumen and thereby setting them up for life with a well-developed and healthy rumen. 

  • Secondly, we’ve ramped up our inoculation program.  We needle all breeding stock annually for Pesti, Vibrio, 7 in 1 and Botulism.  This gives some peace of mind when purchasing animals from us that they are ready to go. 

With our bulls going to auction we follow a regimented program to again set them up for success.  These bulls follow the program just mentioned. 

From there, we select our auction bulls and put them in a hilly paddock and give them a maintenance ration of grain hand fed twice a day to ensure consistency of amounts fed.  Starting with only a couple of kilograms of grain a day and periodically increased in small increments. 

By sale time our bulls max out at 8 to 9 kg’s per day for the last 90 days of sale.  With our auction bulls we trim all their feet even though they don’t need it. 

Our hoof trimmer, Ashley Morris, has talked us into doing all fed bulls.  It’s all about setting them up for success when they go to the successful purchasers place to work.  Ash checks all our fed bulls feet and will advise us if there is any issues. 

To date, we are only doing our bulls feet to set them up for success, not as a necessity.     

9. Genetic Consistency

We believe we are building a herd of females with Genetic Strength and Consistency.  These very strong genetic traits allow for quality and consistency.  We have only had a breeding herd of around 40 females and they have delivered the results we’ve had to date.  We have kept pretty much all our next generation females for the last few years and culled heavily into the older cattle not meeting our criteria.  This season (2022/2023) we will mate 100 females and the calves on the ground are great.  We believe this genetic strength will also be passed on through the sons of these females, hopefully giving peace of mind to anyone purchasing our bulls.

10. Market Relevance

We are striving to breed cattle that will maximise returns in the paddock and at auction/meat works.  This not only includes exceptional beef and bone to maximise weight gains achieved but also moderate fertile and functional females with great udders that produce and raise a calf every year.  What we are also trying to achieve is these moderate females that throw much larger male calves.  To date we have a few of our better families achieving this almost to perfection.

As of 2022 we mated the previous year’s heifer calves.  We are trying to develop females that will mate earlier on our coastal country and therefore be able to achieve this anywhere.

11. Development of a Pure Brahman Commercial Herd

Until recent years, our commercial herd was crossed with Euro bulls.  We’re now using our stud sires over the commercial females to help us further assess our breeding program. 

For any inquiries please visit our Contact Us page or send Y3K Brahmans a message via Facebook

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