The cross-border operation covers about 22,304 hectares of rich grazing land in the South East and Western Districts of Victoria and turns off 15,000-20,000 cattle a year depending on the season.

Their Cattlecare-accredited “breeding property”, Spotshill near Kingston, SA – where it all started when Doug Ogilvie moved to the South East in 1949 – supports 5000 Poll Hereford breeders, including an ‘elite’ herd.

Cattle are bought at South East and NSW markets – mainly NLIS-scanned Poll Herefords and Hereford/Angus crosses – at a preferred 260 kilograms before being transferred at 320kg to feedlots at Airlie, Apsley (2500 capacity) and Bunker Hill in the South East (900 capacity).

Their feedlot conversion rate is about 5kg of grain to 1kg of beef.

All cows get a white summer drench and weaners are given a Paramax.

They are sold over-the-hooks to Coles at optimum 420-520kg weights – with six to 10 millimetres fat cover – after being grain finished for 65 days on a mix of barley, lupins and oaten hay.

Up to 1500 yearling heifers are joined with a yearling bull annually in the commercial herd. The elite herd heifers are artificially inseminated when cycling is observed and tailed up for three weeks.

All other heifers are naturally mated for six weeks. All bull calves from the commercial herd are steered.

Heifers calve at 23 months every year in January/February, or they are culled – even the studs. Their second calf is on the ground at 36 months.

“Everything is done on a commercial basis,” said Richard Ogilvie, who runs the breeding program at Spotshill.]

Extract from on-farm report. To learn more about the Ogilvie Group's operation, don't miss Stock & Land, December 4.