The success of our breeding platform at Rockley comes from our commitment to finding and continually fine-tuning a balance among the genetic traits we want to see in our cattle. It’s well known that selecting for a single trait can be problematic. For example, chasing growth can be associated with detrimental effects on other traits such as calving ease or do-abilty.

Focus
Our balanced approach is a long-term project that we keep our focus on. We are sensitive to what our customers are looking for, but at the same time we don’t get side-tracked by shifting our breeding objectives to meet market demand at any time. Instead, we believe we have the foresight to see a shift before it happens. For example, we’re now producing a high percentage of polled bulls for sale. The majority of our IVF joinings are polled animal over a horned animal.

Thoughtful
Our approach to breeding cattle is unrushed and measured. We put considerable thought, time and research into matching a joining. We eliminate as much risk as we can when choosing a sire to join to our females. Not all our joinings will be effective, but we have the expertise to correct these matings and give the female the best opportunity to breed a well-balanced animal. We never stop learning.

Rational
We’re careful not to get too emotionally attached to our cattle. Sure, we have our favourites but we still ensure that they adhere to our strict breeding criteria. Even though these are hard decisions, we show no sympathy for cows that are open, late or dry. These are difficult decisions, but we are committed to making rational decisions for the good of our business and so that we can continue to contribute significantly to the industry.

For further information, please contact Ashley on 0408 780 810 or Chris on (07) 4934 6317.