Cattle

With bloodlines taking in some of the greats of the Angus Society including Millah Murrah, Eastern Plains, Ben Nevis, Kansas and Wattletop, Main Camp Angus have a long history of breeding quality well-muscled animals that meet market specifications.

Along with these bloodlines, the basis of the females in the Main Camp herd has their origin in angus cattle that were bought in the 1920s by Norman Brooker.  These were added to the mainly Shorthorn herd.  In the 1950s cattle were bought from Rossgole.  Then In the 1960s, Edenglassie females and Belltrees bulls made Angus the focus of cattle breeding at Main Camp.

In the 1980s and 90s the Department of Agriculture NSW recognised that the herd was unique and proceeded to add the cattle to various muscle, feed and fertility trials.  In the process a muscling gene was identified, the myostatin deletion gene, we now test the herd for this gene each year to ensure its retention.  Bulls and females are available with a single expression of the gene – the single expression leads to higher levels of muscling and better boning percentages.  This also began our full record keeping of the herd.

These bloodlines along with careful husbandry has formed the basis for a herd which we believe to be unique in Australian.  Few herds carry a Myostatin Deletion gene in a third of the herd.  This gene, annually tested in females and males, leads to increased muscling and higher boning rates.  With careful management this can see a great improvement to the bottom line, even in tough times.

A small Charolais cross herd was also begun in the 1980s and these cattle continue to flourish.  We began this herd with Belltrees animals and then bulls from Allan Ball, Bowman’s Creek.  We keep the herd at about a third Charolais, two-thirds Angus.  Recently we have added bulls from Palgrove to this breeding programme with much success, we are getting lovely quiet, soft and highly productive animals.

Cattle have always been shown with an emphasis on carcase traits bringing much success in Hoof & Hook competitions at Maitland, Singleton, Newcastle & Sydney Royal Shows.

Our calving rate is high with about 95% of calves making it to weaning.  Muscling in our females is as important to us as their fertility and we do not let one go in favour of the other.  Associate this with our excellent temperament and you have a herd which is highly profitable and easy to handle in good or bad times.

At the forefront of the industry for many years, Main Camp continues to be a successful family business.