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About
Laucke-Merrina
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LAUCKE
- MERRINA POLL HEREFORDS
was
established at Eudunda in 1972. The property is situated
100km North East of Adelaide, and just 35km from the northern
end of the beautiful Barossa Valley, where grandfather Laucke
began flour milling in 1899. It is 850 Ha in area and receives
an annual average rainfall of 400mm (16 inches). In 2002 a new
property of similar area was added to our enterprise. Situated
south of Bordertown in South Australia in the district known as
Bangham, it is some 320 km south of Eudunda. This property
enjoys an annual average rainfall of 500mm (22 inches).
The two properties compliment each
other by giving us the flexibility to move stock to and fro
according to seasonal conditions, whilst enabling us to increase
cow numbers and still maintain a cropping program. |
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Laucke-Merrina
is located 100km North North East of Adelaide, South
Australia. |
OUR
COUNTRY
Relative to the higher rainfall areas of
Australia, both our properties are considered to be in
medium to low rainfall districts. Our normal feed
growing season runs from late Autumn (May-June) to about
the end of spring (November-December).
Therefore
apart from the availability of cereal and legume
stubble, our stock require supplementary feed
from about January to June. Due to the short
growing season, and the necessity for young stock and
sale cattle to exhibit their full growth potential, all
of our bulls from weaning onwards have access to
supplementary feed in addition to any paddock feed
available at the time. |
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WHILST the hay portion of
the supplementary feed is unrestricted, the grain portion (oats,
lupins, peas, barley and a vitamin and mineral concentrate) is
strictly controlled on a daily basis to a maximum of 1% of the
animals body weight. This controlled hand feeding method
together with regular weighing of our bulls ensures that no
animal receives excessive amounts of the grain portion. Heifers
receive no supplementary feed whatsoever. They must perform and mature
on available paddock feed.
WE
consider an average daily weight gain of between 1.5 - 2 kg to
be not only acceptable, but highly desirable. Daily weight gains
on our bulls is directly related to growth and muscle
development, which in turn is directly related to the
profitability of our bull buying clients.
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Mated
Heifers
SINCE
the stud was established,
the female herd has grown to around 200-220 animals. Replacement
females have always been selected on a strict performance driven
retention program. This means there is no tolerance for
infertility, calving difficulties, structural weakness and below
national average growth rates. Our cows have always been
expected to do the job for which they were created, and if they fail
to do so, out they go. Replacements heifers are joined to calve
down at 24 months of age.
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herd
has been performance recorded with Poll Hereford Group
Breedplan for many years. In addition to birth weight, growth
rate and fertility traits, we are also ultra scanning
our total calf drop (bulls and heifers) each year for
muscle and intra-muscular fat (marbling). Also every
bull that leaves our property for breeding purposes,
does so with a comprehensive independent
veterinary check, including a semen quality test. This
bank of information helps us to better identify the
higher producing animals, both male and female, and it
also gives our clients extra information and added
confidence when buying our seed stock. |
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SIRE SELECTION
both for us and for our the commercial cattle producer is made
easier with the availability of Estimated Breeding Values
(EBV's). The importance of assessing the visual qualities of an
animal will never diminish. However, with the information
supplied through EBV's, traits can now be targeted which are not
visually apparent ie: birth weight, milk, scrotal, eye muscle
area and fat etc. EBV's are calculated on the genetic make up of
the animal and its contemporaries, and not the
environment in which it was reared. Therefore the chance of
replicating the sire in his sons (and daughters) is made easier when using this
technology in animal selection. Selective mating plays a big
part in our annual joining program. Sires and Dams are joined
only after studious selection so as to enhance both of their
qualities in the progeny. Artificially inseminating 25-30% of
our cow herd each year enables us to access quality Poll
Hereford genetics world wide.
BECAUSE
our clients are the life-blood of our business, we place great
importance on after sales support. This support comes in
the form of client contact as soon as practicable after the sale
by way of a phone call or letter. When possible, and by
mutual agreement, personal visits are made to discuss (on home
ground) matters of interest such as bull acclimatization, local
environment, market targets, cow herd and so on.
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WE
are
participants in the Australian Johne's Market assurance Program
for Cattle and have a herd status of Monitored Negative 2 -
Certificate Number S100.
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AS
seedstock
producers we have an obligation to produce the best possible breeding stock. We
are meeting this obligation through a dedicated approach to
every aspect of our stud operation.
OUR MOTTO
DEDICATION:
We are totally dedicated to
Poll Herefords because of their ability to perform on fertility,
mothering, milk, calving, feed conversion, growth rates, doing
ability in harsh conditions and docility.
APPLICATION:
Our application and
persistent effort to the job of breeding quality Poll Herefords
is absolute.
COMMITMENT: Our commitment is to our clients. We
pledge to act with honesty and integrity, to place our clients
wishes before our own, and to resolve concerns to our mutual
benefit. |
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To
see more of Laucke-Merrina Poll Herefords simply click on
"Kevin Laucke The Dog" to be transferred to the next
Laucke-Merrina page.
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