Quality Beef Cattle
The breed needs no introduction, globally famous and derived from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in the north-east of Scotland, they are a medium sized breed, black and polled.
Aberdeen Angus, or “Angus” as they have come to be known, are high performance beef cattle renowned worldwide for their high quality marbled beef, adaptability, superior milk ability and maternal instincts, performance efficiency, and their consistency. The are keenly sought after globally and their carcase traits extend well beyond their intra-muscle-fat (IMF) scores and fine quality flavoursome product. Their global desirability has ensured that Angus maintains an extremely well organised and documented genetic base, drawing from their immense and varied gene pool across every continent. Angus are a truly international breed, and are dominant in most countries including USA, Canada, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.
The superior meat quality of Angus cattle comes from their ability to lay down intra-muscular marbling (taste) fat during the finishing phase, together with excellent tenderness and texture, flavour, and desirable meat and fat colour.
Our Angus Cows are Excellent Mothers
Angus cattle excel for temperament, maternal qualities and carcase characteristics. Angus and their crosses are widely sought after by commercial producers as a cornerstone for their production system and base herds.
Angus has the ability to adapt to a vast range of the climatic conditions to be encountered across Australia and have the inherent ability to range for feed and water in our diverse nations’ climates. These cattle are well designed to cope with drought and heat stress and do not suffer from eye cancer and Bos indicus crosses are tick resistant. Angus and their crosses are capable of fast turnoff on native and improved pastures and are highly suited and sought after for lot feeding. The fine quality meat and high dressing percentage make them the most popular choice for farmers, feed lots and meat processors, with pure Angus beef able to command premiums of 10–15% over other breeds . . . that’s commercial performance.
Our St.Fillan Agco herd genetics include the most desirable in Australia, with over 30% of our base breeding females being Team Te Mania, the balance based on Lawson and Rennylea Angus genetics. Arguably the three most important names here in Angus.
Angus females reach sexual maturity at a young age, are highly fertile and are renowned for their longevity in the herd. The females will calve at less than 2 years of age, thus offering a clear performance enhancement when crossed with later maturing cattle. Their longevity as a breeder unit is of significant economic importance and can be considered as “money in the bank” and an outperformance against other breed markers.
The Angus females have excellent milk production and a strong maternal instinct. Combined with easy calving attributes, it’s easy to see why Angus heifers and cows are keenly sought after.
“Easy” Cattle with Docile Temperament
Angus cattle are considered by breeders to be gentle natured and easy cattle to work. Worldwide reports support the docile nature of the Angus breed. Here at St.Fillan Farm, we insist on “easy” cattle with docile temperament, and we seek out EBV’s and breed for such. Australian research conducted by CSIRO Livestock Industries (CLI) and the Co-operative Research Centre for Beef and Cattle Quality (Beef CRC) at Rockhampton have found a positive relationship between ‘good’ cattle temperament, improved productivity levels and overall meat quality whereas cattle with poorer temperaments have comparatively lower average daily weight gains and reduced carcase weights.
“Poor temperament lowers cattle profitability through increased production costs – for example, mustering, maintaining cattle handling facilities and the increased risk of injury to the cattle and their handlers,” We have found from our own experiences at St.Fillan Farm that Angus is a much easier, calmer and more satisfactory breed to work with, and we further select bloodlines with an eye on docility and ease of handling to ensure the trait breeds through all calves in our herds.
High quality beef production is synonymous with the Angus breed worldwide, and whether on pasture or in a feedlot, Angus beef is highly desired for meat quality and again, its clear to see why they remain the dominant force in premium cattle farming.
Contact Information
St.Fillan Farm
723 Maroondah Highway,
Narbethong - St.Fillan Vic., 3778
AUSTRALIA
