THERE'S a lot to be excited about at Jade Park Angus in North East Victoria, as the family enterprise takes their herd to the next level and strives towards their first on–farm sale, with a 2024 date set clearly in their sight.
"It really is a family business," said Andrew Mclean, Jade Park principal.
"And our goal has been to breed the very best herd we can, which is a lifetime ambition and commitment.
"We do all our own yard work.
"We religiously record all our raw data, because if you can't measure things how can you go forward.
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"It's about being able to confidently back all our decisions, and know that we can replicate desirable and sought–after traits with a high degree of reliability.
"It's been a long term plan which is only now coming into fruition and it's a great place to be, especially as it's been fueled by our collective passion and bolstered by our varying skills and expertise.
"One son, Angus works in broadacre cropping, and he has brought that skill set and knowledge of agronomy and employed it on the family farm, setting up the paddocks for maximum productivity.
"Sam is in his sixth year of medicine, and on top of his studies is heavily involved with genetic selection and the technical running of the stud.
"He has this inherent understanding of what will work well in the herd, and so far none of us have been disappointed.
"His picks have been on the money."
In recent years the McLeans have purchased more land, taking their holding to over 1000 acres, and allowing the enterprise to expand.
Located at Hansonville at the entrance to the King Valley, the McLeans have been establishing their herd since 1993 with early purchases from Blackmore Angus, Ardrossen Angus, Comfort Hill and Welcome Swallow.
In later years, the family have looked to Millah Murrah, Banquet Angus, Circle 8, Ascot and Wattletop Angus to build up their foundation stock.
"We have expanded the stud year by year," said Andrew.
"We currently run a spring calving herd with all 300 stud females artificially inseminated, alongside a strong embryo transfer (ET) program each year.
"Currently we have about 100 ET calves, half of which are contract raised at Holbrook.
"Often the focus for genetic selection is solely on the bull, however we aim to breed great females who have a strong pedigree to produce a consistent, reliable line–up of bulls.
"Our emphasis has always been on cattle that display natural thickness and muscle expression, which just grow and do well."
Structural soundness is a non–negotiable, with one of the Jade Park bulls, R72, rated third nationwide in foot scores for the breed.
"Our home–bred Rennylea L519 son R95, has attracted a lot of attention from both Phillip Island and Tasmania," Andrew said.
"We definitely breed for a type, and both Angus and Sam have grown up knowing what we look for at Jade Park Angus."
The type is driven by customer demand, which for Jade Park is a grass–finished animal that is easy doing with positive fat coverage and good footed.
"Docility and temperament are a given," he said.
Females need to be able to look after themselves, are fertile and come back into cycle.
This criteria has resulted in Jade Park looking to their Kiwi counterparts for elite quality genetics in recent years.
The McLeans have been keenly monitoring and reviewing New Zealand bull sales over the last few years, and have recently purchased a bull from Meadowslea Angus to add to their portfolio.
The emphasis at Meadowslea Angus is on breeding functional stock that can thrive in harsh and demanding environments, and as a result good fat cover and constitution are critical.
"They breed a true heifer bull – low birthweight, early gestation and leading calving ease figures," Andrew said
"We've really worked out what we like, and who are the breeders in New Zealand that meet our criteria and breeding objectives."
As a result Taimate Angus is another NZ stud that the Jade Park has aligned with.
Taimate Lazarus L12 is one of the nation's leading bulls, and the McLeans had been watching the impact this impressive sire was having in New Zealand.
With outstanding phenotype and estimated breeding values to match, this bull ticked all the boxes from temperament to carcass width, real depth of flank and overall conformation with great feet and legs.
The NZ bulls caught their attention so much so that the Jade Park team backed their belief with a significant investment of 100 embryos, with 2021 seeing the first drop from this noteworthy sire.
"Taimate Angus have been breeding top quality bulls since 1956, and Taimate Lazarus L12 is a prime example of that real New Zealand type of soft fleshing, easy doing, fat–covered cattle," said Andrew.
His progeny will form part of the Jade Park line–up at the stud's Beef Week Open day on January 30.
