The quick growth and vigour of the Simmental have seen the breed become a permanent fixture in Frank and Shirley Russell's beef cattle business situated on Shannendoah Park, six kilometres from Blackall.
The Russells took ownership of Shannendoah Park 11 years ago, after Shirley's father passed away. She described the property as an "amazing little block", which consists of 1215ha of black and red soil country.
"With the great rain we've received recently our country looks terrific and our cattle are nice and fat as well," Mrs Russell said.
The Russells purchased their second Simmental bull at the 2022 Black Stump Invitation Sale, and they've been impressed with the benefits the breed provides in their herd.
"Due to the small amount of cattle we run we only require one bull at a time and this is our second Simmental," she said.
"We just love them.
"We highly recommend the Simmental to others looking to introduce a new breed into their program.
"They produce quicker growing calves and they're more robust than other calves of the same age."
Mrs Russell said this bull has been left in the paddock on a year-round basis and has been joined to Hereford, Angus, and Charolais females, with a 90 per cent calving rate resulting from these matings.
"The calves are small when they're first born but soon after they jump out of the ground like little Mack Trucks."
These calves are grown out to close to 220kg and sold through the weaner sales held at the Blackall saleyards most of the time, though the Russells have occasionally sold through sales held at the Roma and Dalby Saleyards as well.
The bull the Russells purchased at Black Stump in 2022, Noanga LJAP01, was offered at 29-months-old by Lindsay and Janet Allan, Noanga Simmentals, Culewis, New South Wales.
"He's a beautiful, quiet bull and so easy to work with in the yards."
Mrs Russell said the Allans were great to deal with.
"They're lovely people who're always happy to talk to us and provide us with advice."
The Russells will be attending this year's Black Stump in the hopes of securing a bull of equal quality.
In addition to their beef cattle herd, the Russells also run close to 1000 Kalahari Red and standard red and white Boer nanny goats.
They also operate a farm stay business which provides a taste of rural living for tourists with beautiful sunsets, and camels, donkeys, horses, chooks and the goats and cattle to become friends with.
