BUILDING THE HERD
Around the early 1930’s dad and mum purchased two lovely Guernsey heifers from the Waldron’s ‘Minamurra’ Stud at Blackman’s Point on the Hastings River. They were the foundation of a very successful breeding herd.
As I recall, English cows, namely Jersey, Guernsey, Durham, and Ayrshire cattle were milked in the Manning River District. There was also some Australian Illawarra Shorthorn (AIS) which had been developed on the South Coast and considered more suitable for Australian conditions. The AIS was a very good milking cow and of a large build suitable for human consumption when culled from the milking herd. Unwanted calves were in demand for fattening purposes when grown. However, the superior milking value was disputed by some. The AIS were from the Durham and Devon cattle with a little bit of Ayrshire thrown-in, I understand, eventually replacing the Durham cow.
The Jersey cow was favoured by most dairymen. They were of a smaller build than Guernsey, however, they were hardy and valued for their high-quality butter even though there was less volume of milk. These matters were often disputed and, of course, there were exceptions and mostly it was a case of one’s own personal choice.
Guernsey cattle were of a larger build than the Jersey. It was claimed that they produced more butter than either the AIS or Ayrshire breeds. The Guernsey’s were a pretty golden colour with nice white markings and golden coloured milk which was said to be rich in carotene. For whatever reason, a number of dairymen chose Guernsey’s, including mum and dad. They certainly did not lose from that decision as it was right for the industry at that time. Large quantities of butter were exported to the English market. Additionally, there was also a strong domestic market for butter as Australians still had not embraced margarine as a butter substitute.
Very few dairymen ever made a fortune out of dairying, however, in my parent’s day, for the most part a hard-working dairyman seemed to make a living and rear a family, given an equal opportunity. More likely they only made their money when their property was sold. It was their superannuation. Pure-bred breeders like mum and dad probably ‘had a little extra fruit on the sideboard’ when they sold their surplus stock. Breeding special stock was costly and required expertise but was beneficial to the industry.
‘Banksia’s’ first two cows, ‘Minamurra’ Amy and Leta, produced good quantities of milk. In Amy’s case she produced lots of bull-calves and a couple of heifers in her later years. Leta produced copious quantities of milk and lots of heifer calves including two sets of twins. All-in-all the calves were very useful for increasing the proportion of pure-bred stock in our herd at ‘Banksia’. Leta lived a long life in cattle terms. She was in her early 20’s when she died. Now days it is considered that a cow is past her best milking days at about age 10. A cow is usually sold then as she is considered to be still suitable for the beef market.
Uncle Alf Drury purchased a prize Guernsey bull from Sydney in the early 1920’s. Guernsey bulls became a popular herd-sire being crossed with Jersey’s and no doubt with other breeds. The results were that a larger animal was produced and that the cows also proved to be excellent milkers. The Guernsey bull was in high demand! The crossbreeding produced mostly brindle coloured offspring. For some their only interest was production whereas others were not so keen on the appearance. The more a farmer crossbreeds the purer the breed becomes.
Around the second half of the 1930’s dad purchased five nice heifers from the ‘Wicklow Guernsey Stud’ owned by Mr J. Percy Mooney of Dumaresq Island. These heifers proved to be productive in every way. I recall having a soft spot for one, ‘Wicklow Lass’ a lovely natured cow who was well-built and an excellent milker.
To the best of my recollection, it would have been about this time when ‘Banksia’ began successfully exhibiting a Guernsey team at the Taree and Wingham Shows.
My brother Don (5) and I (6) entered a calf each in the first Junior Farmers’ Show held in the Lansdowne District at the Upper Lansdowne Hall grounds. We had the not so pleasant job of teaching the calves to lead, especially if they had a contrary nature! We had lots of help and encouragement from mum and dad, so as you can imagine the exhibiting bug got into my blood at an early age remaining there for many years to come.
In my younger days, and in fact up until about age 30, I preferred to go barefoot. I seldom wore boots in the summer because I thought that they restricted my movements too much! It was great to be free and I always seemed to be in a hurry! Dad would often comment that I’d get my feet trampled on by a beast, but I don’t ever remember suffering that fate because I would throw myself against the beast when I caught it!
Other purchases made over the years were five beautiful heifers from Stan Bryant and Sons’ ‘Spurfield’ Stud at Bex Hill on the Richmond River. At the same time (late 1930’s) dad purchased Moongi Irene’s Laddie, a bull with Guernsey Island extraction, from Mr Ewan E. Cook, a well-known and popular breeder. These purchases proved to very valuable to our Stud and were the last additions. We became the sellers of breeding stock due to our diligence in improving the Guernsey breed and producing prize-winning cattle.
A successful breeding herd required a stud-sire. Over the time we purchased bulls as required. We purchased Glenoak Masterpiece from Mr E.J. Hayes of Dapto. I recall that this bull was a little disappointing. Another bull, Camberwarra (I have forgotten his other name!) was well-bred but had an ugly nature that I will never forget! We only had to enter his paddock to have him come roaring after us. Needless to say, he did not last long. It was decided that he was safer in a tin at the abattoirs. It seems that he was reared as a pet without discipline consequently he was not teachable by the time we purchased him at 10 months old. We also had a bull named Moongi Sydney Royal, as he was born at the Sydney Royal Show. A particularly good bull that served us well was Moongi Lorna’s Beau.
Farmers spent a lot of time and money developing their special herd-sires to gain maximum production and breed type so as to achieve maximum profit. Some farmers allowed their bull to graze with the cows. This practice would often cause friction with the neighbours as bulls are very perceptive. If they saw a neighbour’s cow ‘in season’ they would somehow find a weakness in the fence and break through causing an unwanted pregnancy. The last thing a farmer wanted was to have his herd interfered with!
Herd planning for conception means that the cows produce more economically and in the best season. The farmer will generally wish to avoid the winter months when the pastures are not at the best for production in the days before whole-milk production. A cow mostly comes ‘into season’ three weeks after calving depending on her condition. Gestation is usually 9½ months. During my herd-breeding days a separate well-constructed bull-paddock was essential for breeding and maximum production. I was able to be selective and bring the bull into the holding yards as needed for mating.
From time-to-time dad and Uncle Clarrie, of ‘Uanwalla’ Stud, used one another’s bulls with some outstanding success. One such cow from this exchange was ‘Banksia’ Flowergirl, sired by ‘Minamurra’ Grand Finale. Flowergirl was considered by many to be the perfect Guernsey cow in every way. Consequently, she scooped the winner’s prize on the Agricultural Show Circuit. We exhibited as far away as Macksville.
A prominent Show breeder from the South Coast, Mrs Nelson, offered to buy Flowergirl to be able to exhibit her in the Sydney Royal Show. Flowergirl was to be Sydney Champion for three years in succession. This was an achievement that many dreamed of but few ever attained!
Over a period of about 21 years Uncle Clarrie had established a very good Guernsey Stud, however, he had to sell the herd when the property owner required the farm for her son. The herd-sire was Moongi Prairie Prince. He was an outstanding bull with soft loose skin and orange colouring. When he came up for auction dad was the successful bidder.
It was recommended that a breeding-herd have one bull to every 50 head of cows. Thus, in our case we needed a second young bull to mate the heifers. If the younger bull proved satisfactory, he would eventually replace the older bull when he became too old. The bulls were mostly selected from other good breeders to prevent in-breeding in the herd. Breeding bulls were chosen according to the mother’s production figures together with the overall conformation of the bull’s body. As one of our colourful farmers used to say: ‘The mother must have a good frame to hang a satisfactory milk vessel on together with a good body to manufacture plenty of food and a big square gob (mouth) to collect it!’
When the UK joined the European Common Market in 1973 Australia lost the English market due to the volumes of supply from Europe. The Australian Dairy Industry had to reconstruct their industry and open up new markets. The market now focused on high volumes of milk as the demand for butter waned. The industry began to focus on the development of new cheeses, yoghurts, and ice-creams. The dairymen introduced the Friesian breed which was taking over as the preferred dairy cow. It was a larger framed cow and produced greater volumes of milk. The other advantage was that they could also be sold for beef if there was a need to cull them.
To maintain the profit margins and to be competitive, successful modern day farming practices require more detailed records than in my earlier days. Our son Adrian, and his wife Stella, have a well-equipped office with a computer, fax machine, filing-cabinets, and the necessary mobile phones to keep pace with the economy of running ‘Banksia’ in the 21st Century. The ‘office’ is located beside the dairy. The building was purchased from the Sydney Olympic Authorities following the end of the 2000 Games. Apparently, it had housed an athlete. I wonder who?
Australia has an enviable disease-free record, and the aim is to keep it that way. Australian stock standards now require farmers to provide records when cattle are culled and sold for meat. Every cow is microchipped for measuring production and health standards. Stock movements can be more easily managed using these techniques.
PREPARATION FOR EXHIBITING
Preparing the cattle was arduous work. The team usually comprised of 14 head ranging in age from senior stock down to calves at about nine months of age. Much patience and lots of time was required to teach the younger cattle to lead. The first step was to tie the calf up to the fence for lengthy periods. The calf would be fed and brushed at that spot. This all contributed to the calf becoming ‘user friendly’ and ready for leading practice.
The next step required two of us. One of us would lead while the other used gentle persuasion at the rear. The more stubborn ones we had to attach to the tractor and then drive slowly forward. They soon learnt to obey. All-in-all, it would take about three weeks of the daily grind to have the calf lead successfully. Naturally, we would want them to be at their best at the Shows; however, from time to time there would be an embarrassing moment or two!
The more mature cattle that had been previously trained were much easier to prepare, however, if they hadn’t been trained at a younger age, we mostly found we resorted to tying them behind the tractor to achieve the desired result! The milking cows were mostly reasonably submissive having been handled regularly.
The Show cattle were rugged. Senior stock was mostly rugged with commercial rugs, but sometimes we resorted to making them, depending on time and finances. If they lost their rug, as invariably they did, it had to be found and repaired or remade. This was all ‘par for the course’ and just had to be done. We made rugs for the calves out of corn / jute bags.
A day or two before the Show the ears, udders and tails had to be clipped. We clipped them with what was known as the ‘horse clippers’. The machine had to be turned by hand while the other person clipped. This was a very tiring and tedious job. The clipping machine was designed to be used to clip horses’ manes and sometimes the whole body to remove winter growth if it was excessive and thought to be interfering with the horse’s performance; for example, if the horse became uncomfortably hot when working. The downside was that we then had to rug the horses at night.
Another preparation task was to scrape the horns smooth with a horse-shoeing knife. The horns were then polished with a linseed oily rag. They looked good and were touched up again just before the judging at the show. It would be easy to say that all this preparation was only skin deep, however, it not only made the beast look attractive and well cared for, it granted a few more points and perhaps the winning ribbon.
The day before Show Day was extremely busy. Cow feed had to be cut, chaffed, and then bagged on the morning of the Show to prevent overheating. We usually used green corn stalks with ‘mutties’ on them.
Potential prize winners were sometimes transported to the Showground on the morning of the Show but mostly the cattle were transported the day before Showing.
In the earlier days of exhibiting dad and Uncle Clarrie drove their herd together on horseback. They drove the cattle along Yarratt Road including the unfenced forest section. I believe that this was quite an experience in itself! They had to prevent the cattle from straying into the forest, and then there might be a couple of bulls wanting to fight. Along the way to Wingham dad told us that the farmers were very cooperative. They would close their gates and be cordial. Dad often mentioned the Yarnold family who would give them a cup of tea to help them on their way.
The journey continued onto Young’s Road and eventually crossed the North Coast rail line through the back of Wingham and into the Showground. The cattle then had to be caught, fed, rugged, and housed for the night. A solid day’s work in any man’s language! Someone else had to transport the feed and grooming gear to the Showground in readiness.
On Show morning we were up bright and early. Milking had to be done at the farm. Then the feed was chaffed and bagged. A quick breakfast, and then away we went with the adrenalin flowing with hopefulness that we would be awarded with some prizes for all our effort. On arrival at the Showground the cattle were checked, fed, watered, washed, and brushed ready for the big moment. We also had to clean out the stall then we changed our clothes to look the part, especially if you were the owner to lead the cattle for judging. The owner always wore a tie and a dustcoat.
It was judging time! The senior cows, over four years were usually called first. We would lead them in a circle around the judge until he decided which order, he would place the line-up. Once the cattle were lined up the judge would make a closer inspection of the cattle before announcing the winners. The Show Stewards would then place the ribbons on the beasts. Blue ribbon for first place; red ribbon for second place; and yellow ribbon for third place.
This process continued until all classes were judged according to their age and gender. Milking, lactating, and dry cows were judged separately.
Then there would be a ‘group judging’ with each exhibitor entering a group of three cows and then a group of three heifers. The finale would be the parade of all the first prize winners (seniors and juniors separately) for the coveted Champion Cow Prize! The same procedure occurred for the bulls. At each Agricultural Show, this procedure occurred for each breed type.
Following a big day of judging there would then be a call for the Champions of each breed to come together so that a beast could be selected and awarded the Supreme Champion of all breeds. Now that was the prize of all prizes to win! The ‘Banksia’ herd won their fair share of ribbons and trophies. We depended on the sale of a bull or two at the Shows to top off a successful Show and of course help to defray the costs associated with exhibiting and add to the satisfaction of the whole experience. As market forces changed it did not pay to continue following the Show Circuit.
The competition was keenly fought. Obviously, there were some disappointments, but I never witnessed any nastiness. The camaraderie was good amongst all the breeders and Show time provided an opportunity to catch up with exhibitors from around the districts. We were often weary from all the activity, but it did not dampen the good time had by all.
After the Wingham Show, dad and Uncle Clarrie had a day to travel the cattle along what was then a dirt road to the Taree Showground. This trip was uneventful, and they arrived in good time to get the cattle fed and settled down for the night. In years to come the cattle were transported by cattle truck.
The Taree Show would have a similar programme as Wingham, however, because there would be sometimes other breeders and always a different judge one could not be sure of the same winning outcomes.
Then there would be the cattle drive home. Sometimes we drove the cattle through the back road through Cedar Party but mostly we drove them along the Lansdowne Road. I can well remember the time when I was considered old enough to assist with the droving. It was a good feeling being trusted with such an important job. As usual, after the Grand Parade we let the cattle loose on the road heading for Lansdowne. We would get them halfway home, Lansdowne side of the Kundle Kundle railway gates (before the installation of the warning lights) and camp in the stockyard. Uncle Clarrie would go home and collect fresh cattle feed. Then we would boil the billy and have a feed before settling down for the night in his utility. The cattle were never any trouble on the way home. It seemed as though they knew they were homeward bound.
Other Guernsey breeders were Messrs Ab and Eric Everett and Sons from Barrington, Mr Alf Cox of Kimbriki, Mr Percy Mooney of Dumaresq Island, Mr Don Clark of Wallalong, Maitland, Mr Bob Sowter and Son from the Macleay and the Osborn’s also from the Macleay District and there are possibly others whom I have forgotten.
A couple of weeks after the Taree Show it would be the Kempsey Show. We would go through the preparation then herd the cattle to the Melinga Railway Station, a distance of six miles. We would load the cattle and endured the ever so slow journey by train to Kempsey. The freight trains seemed to do endless shunting especially at large centres like Wauchope. They would be either adding or taking off truckloads of goods such as timber. As there was only a single line to Brisbane, passenger trains had priority over freight trains.
The Kempsey Show officials would meet us at the Station and assist us to drive the cattle the quarter mile to the Showground. The cattle were then caught, tied up in the sawdust stalls, fed, watered, and milked. I recall that on my first trip to Kempsey we stayed at the Methodist Parsonage with the Rev. Alf Robins, a former Lower Manning minister, and his wife. We didn’t see them much as we had to be up early to be at the Showground in preparation for the judging. I felt privileged to be included in the Show team.
When it was all over it was homeward bound by freight train. In those days Melinga Railway Station was an important rail centre. There was a full-time Station Master and a very good trucking-yard. It was said that a large cattle grazier, Mr C. D. McDonnell, had used pressure to create this facility as he had a rather large herd of Herefords to get to the markets. As a result, we also benefited from and appreciated the facility. At the time there were also two large timber mills at Melinga with timber-loading facilities.
Another exciting change for me was getting my driver’s licence. Dad, and his cousin Len Drury, had taken the cattle by rail to Kempsey for the Show. Dad allowed me to drive his 1928 Rugby car, with mum to bring more stock feed to Kempsey where we were also to assist with the preparation and judging. I had reached another milestone. It felt great even though I was extremely tired after a very long and busy day.
World War 2 broke out in 1939 and continued until 1945. During this time Agricultural Shows were cancelled especially after the Japanese entered the conflict in 1942. It was considered unwise for large groups of people to be gathered in one place as it could provide an unnecessary target for the enemy. Darwin had been bombed and Japanese submarines had entered Sydney Harbour, so it was a scary time. Another reason for Show cancellations was due to the labour force being depleted due to the many people who had joined the Armed Forces.
Overtime, changes took place. Apparently the first experience of transporting cattle by truck was a disaster. I was away at the Sydney Missionary and Bible College at the time.
My younger brother Elton had taken my place on the farm. They decided to contract an old friend to transport the cattle to the Wingham Show. The truck was aging, and the brakes were failing. Apparently, the truck got half way up the steep junction of the Lansdowne and Comboyne Roads where there was a steep uneven turn. The motor stalled and the truck started running backwards rolling the cattle to the side of the truck. The truck in turn tipped onto its side. Thankfully, no cattle were injured so they were walked back home. It took dad a long time to forget that experience and rake up the courage to truck his prize cattle to a Show again!
However, we did use Les Moscatt, our local milk carrier to transport our cattle to the local Shows. Les would deliver the milk in cans to the factory in Taree then go to the sawmill to get sawdust to protect the truck floor and to make cleaning easier. He would arrive back at the farm by about 11am, level the sawdust, dampen it then load the cattle. He would back the truck up to the embankment on the side of the road so we could load the cattle. After delivering the cattle to the Show, Les then had to clean his truck in time to collect the farmers’ milk that same evening before dark. I am satisfied that the milk was never contaminated in anyway, however, this practice would certainly not be allowed today!
On one such occasion Les had his brother-in-law, Lionel Minett, as his offsider. They arrived at the agreed time and set about preparing the truck for loading asking me to get a four-gallon round drum of water so they could wet the sawdust. The rear gate of the truck was a timber structure the full width of the truck. This was tied at the corners to help keep the cattle in. Before the sawdust could be spread this cumbersome structure had to be taken out of the truck and leaned against the fence. Lionel, weighing about 20 stone with a ‘very short fuse’ proceeded to remove the cumbersome tail gate slowly moving backwards from the truck. However, all too late we realised that the round drum of water was not far enough away for Lionel to exit the truck without backing right over the drum. Ever so gently Lionel’s legs fitted perfectly around the drum of water slowly spilling the contents under his bottom. He did not want to get wet, so he spreadeagled his hands out on the ground, allowing the tailgate to lie across his legs pinning him down. He didn’t get a wet bottom, and no one got hurt but what a perfect picture! To the rescue we came with no one daring to say a word. After Lionel and Les had gone we all had a good laugh and up until his dying day the thought of that sight always gave dad a good laugh! The situation was made all the funnier because of Lionel’s short fuse personality. We never did hear what Lionel thought about the incident.
As time went by dad contracted another very experienced friend, Claude Ciccolini, to transport our cattle to the Shows locally and to the northern Shows. Claude carried our cattle for years, and in fact, right up till we ceased exhibiting. He was not only a good carrier he also took an active interest in the Show work assisting us greatly. Claude understood cattle in a way very few of us do.
Dorothy and I always hired a caravan when we went to the Northern District Shows without the children. Dorothy and I were able to concentrate on our responsibilities as exhibitors knowing that our dear friends, Hec and Merle Willis, would be caring for our children as if they were there very own. The kids had a great time and were all very fond of Hec and Merle. Dad would travel in the cattle truck with Claude. We always enjoyed the northern Show trips.
Dorothy got herself very involved with the brushing, leading, salesmanship as well as attending to our meals. We enjoyed every minute of these occasions and revelled in the Show Circuit camaraderie. On one such excursion it rained so much that the Nambucca River burst its banks meaning that we would be flood bound at the Macksville Showground. This delayed our departure by several days. We, like the other exhibitors settled in for a time of relaxing and listening to yarns. Dorothy was in her element! It was an enjoyable and unforgettable experience. Naturally, we still had to milk and attend to the needs of the cattle that were flood bound with us.
Over the years we won many Show ribbons. My wife, Dorothy, made some rugs and pillows from them. They were decorative but a bit too fury for personal use.
Our Show days were great times. Dad continued to be actively involved with the Show activities after my parents moved to Port Macquarie. He would come over to ‘Banksia’ a few days before the Show to assist us with the preparation and then come to help at the Show. We had to make some practical decisions when the market started changing and Guernsey’s were no longer the ‘flavour’ of the times.
I am sure that dad was very disappointed when the time came to cease exhibiting. It was no longer economical or practical time wise. Fewer sales of breeding stock made exhibiting a more costly exercise. In summary, our bull market had dried up.
To own a herd-sire the dairyman must have a well fenced paddock. Bulls are notorious for straining against the wire and breaking either the wire or the fencepost, especially if the fence is aging. Of course, the bull also has to be fed adding to the farm’s expenditure.
Dad was fortunate to have had mostly quality bulls in his breeding programme. He was a good judge of his cattle and seemed to be able to detect an unsatisfactory bull early in the scheme of things and got rid of it. Dad and Uncle Clarrie regularly attended the Sydney and Lismore Shows. It paid off because they became good judges of cattle and were able to purchase first class stock. He was in demand as a judge throughout NSW.
The qualities to look for in breeding stock for exhibiting and later making sales to cover costs included the following: top production of milk, soft expanding udder skin capable of large amounts of milk and feed, a well attached udder that won’t drag in the mud, a good square mouth capable of consuming a satisfactory amount of feed in a reasonable time frame, bright eyes and fine features and a reasonable breed colour.
As mentioned elsewhere, farmers had to adapt to the changes in the world market after the UK joined the European Economic Market. Artificial Insemination, (AI) became common practice as dairymen adjusted their farm business to remain viable. Using AI to impregnate the cows enabled the dairymen to improve their herd’s production as well as eliminating the need to have a herd-sire (bull). Incidentally, most farmers these days do their own inseminating. The semen is kept in plastic straws, similar to drinking straws in a tank of dry-ice ready for use.
Story provided by Glenda Dutton (daughter)