We enjoy a high level of repeat business from our clients because we sell good bulls and back them with a Quality Assurance guarantee.   So what can you expect when you buy a bull from us?

A bull that meets your needs

Our aim is to provide our clients with bulls that will improve their herds and profitability.  The bulls we offer usually have figures in the top 10% of the Murray Grey breed in at least one of the following areas: calving ease, growth, carcase attributes or financial indices.

Experience

We have been breeding Murray Greys for over 40 years. After a lifetime of breeding we are more enthusiastic than ever about the breed and about the quality of animals that we now offer the commercial cattle breeder.

A bull that is quiet and easily handled

All breeders want bulls that are safe and easy to handle. Temperament is so important in a bull and it is passed to his progeny. For decades we have culled all animals that are flighty or that kick. We yard wean our calves and accustom them to being handled.  We generally handle our bulls on foot and expect them to walk, not run, to where they need to go.  More details on our quiet cattle here.

Well Reared

We are committed to the highest standards in the keeping and rearing of our livestock.  Our cattle are fed according to their nutritional requirements and maintained in good condition at all times.  We have accepted the Beef Welfare Challenge issued by the RSPCA because we believe that the livestock industries are coming under increased scrutiny by welfare groups and consumers.  We need to demonstrate that we do care for our animals.

Correct structure

Our bulls are independently assessed by Jim Green, accredited assessor #1006, for structure and temperament as part of our Quality Assurance program.

Performance recording

We record and analyse all relevant performance traits including ultrasound scans for carcase quality. We make this information, including actual data (such as birth weight and growth rate) and Breedplan figures, available.  This will allow you to assess how the animal will meet your requirements.

We display the Breedplan data graphically so that you can more easily see the relative strengths and weaknesses of the cattle. The middle of the graph is breed average. Lines to the right show that the trait is better than breed average, lines to the left are below breed average.

A herd improver

We want our clients’ herds to make genetic progress. We only sell bulls that are better than breed average in one or more traits – calving ease, growth or carcase. It is very difficult to have animals that are better than average in all traits.  Sometimes a compromise has to be accepted. Bulls with low birth weight and high calving ease may not have high growth rates. Some highly muscled bulls have lower than average fat cover. We provide you with all their data so that you can choose a bull to suit your needs.

Commercially relevant cattle

The target market for our bulls is the local commercial cattle breeder. We aim to breed cattle that are easily born and that grow fast with good muscling off grass. Our cattle are not pampered show cattle; they are pasture fed and paddock reared. We only supplement in winter or when pastures deteriorate and then with hay / silage and possibly a protein supplement.

A high performance breeding program

Cadfor is very cold in winter, being above 700 metres and in a valley where we get frosts from March to November. In this region cattle make little growth in winter and most commercial cattle production is geared to producing store weaners for the sales in autumn. With a short growing season we need explosive growth from our calves to produce a finished product before the bulk of weaners hit the regional weaner sales in April / May.

We are always looking for the best genetics to suit the local climate and markets. If you buy a bull from us you can be assured that we are already looking ahead to breed your next bull.

Calving ease

Because calving difficulties have many causes, unfortunately we cannot guarantee that all calves by our bulls will be born without problems. As part of our Quality Assurance program we do not retain cows that have calving difficulties nor do we keep bulls that have caused any such trouble.

From a Herd with a High Level of Biosecurity

We take biosecurity very seriously in our cattle and horse enterprises as well as in our farm generally.  Details here.  We want to keep our farm free of pests and diseases and are as committed to ensure that our clients remain so too.  Rod was awarded Biosecurity Farmer of the Year in 2012 which reflects our level of attention to biosecurity.  Our farm has been used as an example of correct biosecurity for overseas visitors and for filming.  Having achieved an excellent reputation we are committed to live up to it in all our management.

Quality Assurance

Cadfor bulls offered for sale are:
• Registered with the Murray Grey Beef Cattle Society and Breedplan recorded
• From a Bovine Johnes J-BAS 8 herd
• Independently assessed for structure and temperament
• Free of known genetic conditions, DNA tested and sire verified
• Tested free of pestivirus persistent infection (PI)
• Vaccinated against leptospirosis and clostridial diseases
• Transferred to the new owner with the MG Society and on the NLIS database

The Cadfor guarantee:

We undertake to replace any bull that is proven infertile or incapable of natural service or has a structural problem, excluding any problems due to injury, misadventure or disease which has occurred since leaving Cadfor. We will also replace any bull that has a temperament problem.

If a suitable replacement bull is not available we will provide credit equal to the purchase price less salvage value. This credit is to be used towards the purchase of another Cadfor bull. This guarantee extends for two years after the bull leaves Cadfor but in the second year the value of the replacement is reduced by half.

After sales service and help

We are committed to providing the highest level of Quality Assurance and are always available to discuss any problems or concerns you have about bulls you have purchased or about your cattle generally. In particular we look forward to getting feedback about how your bulls are performing as this helps guide our breeding strategies.