Episode 5 | Anthony Ball, Elders Stud Stock Agent

Look,

in terms of trends, obviously you've been in the game a long time.

What trends have you seen come and go and change a breed or come and stay and change a breed with stud cattle?

Oh, look, everyone gets a turn at the top and everyone gets a turn at the bottom of the podium as well.

I've always thought it's important when it comes to breeding cattle, I mean, the most important thing is you've just got to pick the breed that you want.

At the end of the day, it's your farm.

When you step off your veranda in the morning, you need to look at a herd of cows that you yourself are happy with and you need to breed the breed that you that you love.

So I think that's the most important thing when it comes to breeding cattle.

But, I mean, we have seen the trends.

At the moment, a lot of people wanting to buy Euro bulls, obviously, to breed fetus deers commercially to source that feeder market.

We saw the Angus job there a few years ago going absolutely bonkers.

you know, the Brahman job probably been very consistent.

It's had its challenges, but if you were to look at that breed over a number of years now, it's been very, very consistent for a long, long time.

A lot of investment into that breed.

I guess Santa Catrutas, the Droughtmasters, are the same.

We've probably seen a big uptake in Brangus cattle as well of late.

So, yeah, but...

Again, I think trends come and trends go.

You've just got to stick to basic principles, stick to the cow that you like.

And if you breed good cattle and you're a good human, you'll never have trouble selling bulls in any breed.

You know, is there any other trends, probably Brahman specific that you'd like to mention?

Yeah, probably one thing I have noticed over a period of time now, Kelvin, is once upon a time we sold bulls around that three years of age and we are now progressively selling bulls younger and that's just genetics are changing, nutrition, our understanding, which is all great.

And I guess one thing I feel...

For a bull buyer, as we sell these younger bulls at 21, 22 months of age, I get it.

It's probably a better product.