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  Ardcairnie Angus

Our first international sale!

Thursday 18th February saw a group of Russian farmers and feedlotters visit Maybenup with Elders Kojonup and Wellard Exporters to look at our sale bulls. The delegation purchased 14 bulls for export to Russia. This has been an exciting new venture for us and we hope to follow their progress in their new homes.

Sale Day 2010

For the 2010 sale, we catalogued 52 bulls, penned up 48 on the day and sold 19 to 12 returning buyers to a top of $4,800. Following the sale of the 14 bulls to Russia as well as some other private sales we now have 12 bulls available for purchase.

Rainfall 2009

Rainfall in 2009 was as challenging as the previous year, with 2 inches in the first three months only helping the few perennials we have.  Having had the break of season rain on the 1st of April for the last four years, it was a bit of a shock not to get the opening rain until the 22nd of May.  Five inches in June made sure the dams were filled as July, August and September gave us three inches, two inches and two inches respectively.  October had only a tiny amount and November had less than an inch.  Apart from traces in December, the year has finished at about 75% of the average.

Rainfall 2010

Än unexpected 15mls rain on Tuesday 9th February (accompanied by spectacular thunder and lightning!) means that Jim will be checking the paddocks over the next couple of weeks where we've sown some perennials to see if there's been any activity!

Mobs on Maybenup at the moment

1. 12 sale bulls (with 3 keeper bulls)
2. 300 pregnant cows and 100 pregnant heifers
3. 2009 born (E) bull calves
4. 2009 born (E) heifer and steer calves
5. 2008 born (D) remaining steers and heifers (4) being finished on a grain assisted program
6. Seven herd bulls

The Cow Mob

As always, the cows are expected to live on the smell of an oily rag, although we are giving them minerals as they move through their allocated paddocks.  Having done all we can during the spring to build a good body of dry feed during the summer.  We aim to leave enough litter on the ground after the cows move on to protect the soil surface and to improve water infiltration with the first rain.

Extramural Farm Experience for Murdoch University Veterinary and Animal Science Students

In late 2007, farming friends already in the scheme, suggested we might like to participate in the Extramural Farm Experience programme run by Murdoch University for their Veterinary and Animal Science students.
 
We enjoy sharing what we do, so signed up for one student for one week during June 2008, when we are calving.  For Student 1, a city girl, it was quite an experience!  The bull calf she gave his first bottle feed to (his Mum had a prolapse and died) until we fostered him onto a cow that had lost her calf, has made the bull sale team for our 2010 bull sale on 2nd February.
 
We very much enjoyed the experience so signed up for two students in June 2009, for a week at a time with a week inbetween.  Student 2 proved to have lots of cattle experience but enjoyed learning about judging cattle from Jim – so much so that when she attended (part sponsored by Ardcairnie Angus as we enjoy and value encouraging young cattle people ) the Cattle Assessment School run by the WA Angus Committee and Harvey Agricultural College, she topped the competition! 
 
With our second planned-for-a-week student that month came another student for a two week stay – our choice and we enjoyed having Students 3 and 4 together for a week and helping with the calving runs. Then Student 4 stayed on, with the highlight of her visit being able to do a post mortem on a bull with a broken leg that had to be put down.

January 2010 Murdoch student

Student 6 in January 2010 with the cows

Then Student 5 arrived for two weeks in December with semen testing, freeze branding and other preparations for the bull sale.  We had some very interesting discussions (as we do with all the students) on mulesing and related animal welfare issues.
 
January 2010 brought Student 6 – the fifth of our planned-two-students-for-2009 – in time to help with working out how to feed sprouted lupins, semen re-testing, feeding mobs and stuffing envelopes with the bull sale catalogue!  All part of the variety of Farm Pracs!  (And the envelope stuffing day was one of the very hot ones!)
 
Interestingly, the last three students have all been Canadians, choosing for a variety of reasons to study at Murdoch.  The Veterinary qualification from Murdoch has a very good reputation world-wide.
 
We choose to offer full board to the students (and Murdoch contributes dollars towards that) but that is a choice for the host farms.  So far we have had two who choose to eat nothing from the seas, one vegan and one vegetarian!  That keeps me (Pam) challenged in the kitchen which I quite enjoy – finding new recipes via googling “vegan recipes” makes life easier!
 
We have been thrilled with the calibre of the six students we have hosted and have signed up for another two in 2010!

If you would be interested in finding out more about the Murdoch Extramural Farm Experience Scheme, please click here for more information; the contact person at Murdoch University is Claire McNaughton, phone (08) 9360 2653, fax (08) 9310 7495 or email C.McNaughton@murdoch.edu.au.


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Page updated 10 January, 2010