Wagyu breeding in transitional stage

At 27 years of age, Erin manages her family’s 1100 Angus and Wagyu breeding herd on Aurifer Downs and is the first to admit she loves what she does.

And while she was always destined to return home to work in the family partnership, fate played a role and Erin took hold of the reins earlier than initially expected at just 22, following the tragic death of her father, Grant. 

“I really love what I do and find it incredibly rewarding to see the genetics I have selected calve down plus see how the animal grows out,” Erin said.

Armed with a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts, Erin managed the family partnership books while studying at university.

View the full Spring Beef 2017 publication.

She completed her Masters in Agribusiness when she returned home, studying part-time. 

The family’s breeding herd represents 50 per cent Angus and 50pc Wagyu genetics. 

The Angus breeders are based on Raff Angus and Eaglehawk genetics, while the Wagyu bulls are based on Salisbury and Peake bulls. 

Heifers are joined at 13 to 15 months from October in a multi-sire mating for seven weeks, while the cows are given a little longer and are joined for 11 weeks at a ratio of 3 per cent. 

Erin Arbuckle targets the feeder market and grows the progeny out to 400 to 440 kilograms before she obtains quotes and markets her cattle directly to the feedlots. 

After joining, all females are pregnancy tested about 10 weeks after the bulls are removed from the breeders, usually returning a 90 per cent positive test in-calf with a July calving. Breeders are culled for age at 10 years along with any breeders that don’t fall in-calf. 

Erin has undertaken a pregnancy testing and artificial insemination course and this year when testing she drafted the breeders three ways, positive, negative and maybe.

After that her local veterinarian checked over the breeders she had drafted into the maybe status.

“From now on I am confident that I will be able to do it on my own,” Erin said.

“One advantage of carrying out my own testing is if any breeders are missed in a muster, I can carry out the testing without the need to call a veterinarian for a few head of cattle.”

As well, Erin has started doing her Wagyu artificial insemination program.

“By doing both these jobs myself it allows us the flexibility to chose which day we do these jobs and we are not reliant on a veterinarian,” she said.

As she has experienced five very dry summers, including this year, Erin has also been offloading cattle a little earlier and selling through AuctionsPlus to backgrounders who also target the feedlot market. 

Erin weans all calves at six to eight months old and uses dogs, motorbikes and a laneway system to educate the weaners.

At this stage, as their Wagyu breeding is in a transition phase, Erin is keeping 80 per cent of the Angus heifers as replacements and the balance is sold on AuctionsPlus.