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Taroom-based beef producers Errol and Janet Otto know a thing or two about the cattle game with Errol having been involved in the industry on his property Boggomoss for decades.
Errol said producing cattle has always been in the family.
“It was was always something I wanted to do, it’s a good lifestyle, their are always up and downs but when you have green grass in the paddock and good cattle, it’s very rewarding,” he said.
The Otto’s 10,000 acre home-base serves as the finishing and departure point for their primarily Brahman cattle operation.
Errol said the cattle for the selling markets are selected from his two breeding properties, Minnamoora and Coleraine located at Jericho, which are managed by his son Ian and his wife Megan.
He said he’s done some crossbreeding with Charolais cattle, though he generally prefers producing pure Brahmans.
“We switched to Brahmans 40 years ago, and we’ve been happy with them ever since. They’re good all-round beasts, they handle our country well and we find that they’re easy to take care of.
“All our breeders are high grade Brahmans, and its the two year old bullocks that they produce which we sell on to the works or saleyards.
“We just try to breed good cattle, we don’t get invested in any specific markets, when they’re good enough to sell, they go.”
He said they’ve been offloading during the dry as many across the state have been and said they go with what the seasons dictate.
“The Jericho blocks have been faring quite well through the dry and the Taroom block has avoided drought conditions, though we could always do with some more rain.”
When it comes to attending stud sales such as the February All Breeds Bull & Female Sale, Errol said he looks for good, early maturing bulls with good bone, and excellent fleshy qualities, but he said temperament is at the top of the list.
“Were not trying to breed extreme sires, just solid, middle of the range, quality beasts.”
I always like to go and see what other studs are trying to do with their cattle at the February All Breeds sale, even if I don’t end up purchasing any cattle myself.”