Willarah Farm Beef Blogs Are Back!
After a year-long hiatus, we’re excited to bring the Willarah Farm Beef blogs back to life! Sometimes life on the farm (and off it) gets a little hectic, and writing about it has to take a back seat. But with things now settling into a steady rhythm, we’re carving out time to share what’s been happening here, and what’s on the horizon.
From now on, our blogs will be seasonal. At the end of each season, we’ll reflect on the work we’ve done and give you a sneak peek into what’s coming up. Let’s dive into our Summer Update.
Summer on the Farm
Summer is always a busy time at Willarah. In December, we start weaning our autumn-drop calves. This means separating them from their mothers and running them in neighbouring paddocks to minimise stress.
The weaners are then mixed in with last season’s steers, our future beef pack stars for May. These mobs get access to our best paddocks over summer to maximise weight gains, while our breeding cows are held back a bit to avoid them getting too fat before calving in February.
As part of the weaning process, we run the calves through the yards and across the scales a few times. This not only helps them get used to being handled, but it also gives us valuable data on how they’re tracking.
Below is U006, our top-performing calf from the 2023 drop. She clocked an impressive average daily gain of 1.03kg—a heifer we’ll definitely be keeping in the herd!
Most of the summer is then spent rotating cattle through fresh paddocks to keep everyone content.
Pasture Planning
In late February, we begin prepping a paddock or two for our autumn crop. This year, we’re trialling a Dryland Mix from Nutrien Ag in Traralgon. You’ll be able to read all about the paddock prep and sowing process in the upcoming Autumn blog—stay tuned!
Beef Update
We weighed the steers last week, and one standout was T04, tipping the scales at 578kg, with an average daily gain of 0.72kg/day since birth.
Now, that’s slower than what you’d see in a feedlot – those animals often gain over 1kg/day – but they spend most of their lives on concrete or bare dirt. Our cattle are 100% grain-free, and while their gains are slower, the longer time to finish results in meat that’s richer and more complex in flavour. It’s a trade-off we’re proud to make.
Willarah Dairy
In early February, just as the storm that hammered Mirboo North rolled through, we welcomed a new calf to the farm: Hurricane, a Jersey x Speckle Park born during the wild weather.
Our house cow, Rona, handled the birth like a pro and has settled back into the rhythm of milking beautifully. We’re now swimming in fresh milk, cheese, and butter, enough to feed an army!
That’s all for now. Keep an eye out for the Autumn blog, and in the meantime, enjoy this fabulous little dairy outfit brought to you by Adaline below!
