Breeding Program

BEANBAH HORNED AND POLLED HEREFORDS

In 1981 Sid bought 20 Poll Hereford cows at the Acton dispersal sale and formed the Beanbah Polled Hereford Stud.  Then in 1984 Lonsdale cows from the Wagner dispersal were added to the stud.
In March 1998 Sid purchased a total of fifty Taurau Valley Horned Hereford mixed age cows, which have become the foundation of our horned herd.


In 2006 we recorded a total of 200 Hereford calves.


All the stud cows are run together except at joining when they’re separated into their sire groups. The sale bulls are run together until their first winter when they are divided up into breed groups.  It is interesting to note that the three breeds at all points from weaning to the sale have very similar weights and growth patterns.


The main AI sires currently in use at Beanbah are Yarram Lottery X122, Leader T128 and Okawa Commodore.  All the horned cows have a very strong Vena Park Jackpot pedigree, with almost all being Jackpot daughters or Grand daughters.
The strongest influences in the Poll Herefords are the sires, Beanbah Tarzan, Koanui Benson and more recently Ardo Hustler.
In the last couple of years we have undertaken an extensive Embryo Transfer program which has yielded over two hundred eggs.  This has the effect of increasing the herd size using only our best genetics.  We use only our own commercial cows that are bred on farm as recipients.


Our aim here is to produce sound bulls able to survive anything nature throws their way.  Our cattle must finish easily and the cows must show easy caving and an ability to get back in calf.  All animals are performance recorded, weighed at birth, fat and muscle scanned and all bulls are semen and service capacity tested.


The breeding emphasis is on producing top sires for steep Gisborne hill country, with the motto: Bred in the Hills for the Hills.
We believe that what sets our bulls apart is the strength of the breeding and the challenging environment in which they live.