All calves are valued and cared for at Owl Farm.  Each newborn animal receives 2L of gold colostrum upon first arrival at the warm dry calf sheds, and another 2L in the afternoon. We test blood protein levels every year with the aim of achieving all calves having adequate IgG (antibody) levels for optimum calf health (the last two seasons we achieved 80% and 83% respectively). 

We also have an important principle – increased ‘purpose of life’ (i.e. fewer bobby calves).  This has resulted in an updated breeding strategy, using a combination of sexed semen and dairy beef semen to reduce the number of bobby calves born while creating a marketable, value-added product in terms of high quality beef animals.

Sexed semen aims to produce a higher proportion of heifer calves born, and this is used on the cows with the highest genetic value (breeding worth, BW).

Dairy beef sires are selected using the traits from the Dairy Beef Progeny Test.  These include birth weight, gestation length, days to weaning, 400 day liveweight, carcass weight and marbling score.  In 2024 we have used Charolais for our July born calves and a mix of Charolais, Profit Maker and Angus for our August born calves.  These calves have a pre-arranged sale at 4-day old to local calf rearers.

This strategy has increased purposeful lives for our calves from 34% in 2018 to 77% in 2024. Video summary of purposeful lives for calves strategy. 

Our current breeding program can be found here.