Onward Murray Greys

24/04/2026

With the impending changeover of house cow duties, it was time to make sure both Sophia and Daphne and the soon to arrive calf were provided all relevant health treatments. (Cue the anti vaxxers and as has been said over and over- you do you and I'll do me.) (sigh).
Outgoing Sophia was given an intramammary dry cow treatment into each quarter to maintain her udder health during her dry off period. She was also injected under the skin of her neck with an internal and external parasite control.
I won't ever treat a house cow with a synthetic drench during her lactation period so drying off/weaning is the perfect time for her to receive it. (see, I do have some synthetic input provisos. :D)
She also copped her annual PestiGard and 7in1 vaccinations.
The 7in1 is probably THE most important vaccine for a house cow to receive. It protects both her and any human who drinks raw milk from contracting leptospirosis- an environmental zoonotic disease carried by pigs, rodents etc that cows can contract and share with humans who drink her raw milk.
Don't get me wrong. I am a huge supporter of raw milk consumption BUT...... there are risks and there are precautions that need to be taken. A 7in1 vaccination program for house cows is non-negotiable in my books, for the safety of anyone who drinks raw milk.
Heavily pregnant Daphne, who is about to learn all the joys of being the temporary farm favourite cow, was also in for her 2 jabs. Receiving them at this stage of her gestation provides the calf with the strongest cover for the 5 clostridial diseases that are incorporated in the 7in1 vaccine.
And so, preparations are all done.
Now for the waiting, waiting,....... come on Daphne.......... waiting......

23/04/2026

Lot 425 - 81 Weaned Heifers | WEANER & YEARLING SALE 1 - QLD & NSW, 24 April 2026 9:00 AM (SYD)

22/04/2026

Page regulars have followed Sophia over the last 2 years from her arrival as a weaner heifer. She is the highly valued Brown Swiss, Jersey mix, house cow character who has kept 2 households, including dogs and chooks in milk and cheese since she first calved 11 months ago.
She has had an extended production period (commercial dairy cows generally milk for about 9 months before having a well earned break) as we wait for newbie Daphne (the Jersey heifer) to calve. (only days away now).
Sophia has done an incredible job. She has introduced countless B&B visitors and rellies of all ages to the wonders of "where does milk come from." And how.
She has been subjected to a vast array of manicured fingernails, soft urban hands, tiny timid titillating fingers, confident, strong (but somewhat inept) styles and attempts to fill the milk bucket. Well, just get a few drops really.
Albeit, her tolerance varies and is rarely predictable. 😂
She has given quite a few lessons in cow psychology and "my head and legs are ruled by my belly" philosophies. She continues to teach all the dogs and sheep to keep out of her space, although Wolf dog and the ram could both still do with a good grounding head butt.
Her production has dropped markedly of late due to both nutritional factors and the length of her lactation and frankly, she just needs a break.
Her foster calf Spock (her own calf was born dead) has been much loved from day one and if the whinging currently going on is any indication, he is certainly missing her company and milk.
Tough ti***es Spock- you'll get over it. (at 11 months of age he is by far the oldest calf to be weaned this season.) He has gone straight onto a self feeder, with new friends, so he will lack absolutely nothing nutritionally. (anyone wanting a milk fed, grain assisted vealer as a homekill....... )
Sophia's job share partner, Daphne, will be recruited any day soon.
Stay tuned.... 😁

20/04/2026

Seriously, this dog cracks me up.
A moment in Wolf's life, being the bestest cattle blocking dog everr.
Just ask him.

18/04/2026

I'm not sure if it is the basic primal harvesting urge at the end of the summer abundance season, the practical management response to lighten the number of grazing mouths before winter hardships or just the incredible feeling of self sufficient food production and food security that is the key driver, but.....
with the meat chooks and all the roosters from this season's laying-chook-replacement-hatchings processed, the fat lambs done and the excess summer veggies frozen, the freezers are bursting at the seams, including plenty of beef still from homekill Psycho done back in December.
Praise be to electricity and freezers. 😁
These lambs are the first sired by Gus the new Charollais ram. They certainly look the part with plenty of muscle expression, great growth rate and easy finishing. The true test will be their eating quality and I cannot wait.
The veggie beds have been rejuvenated with compost and the winter varieties planted.
Most excess grazing mouths (cattle and sheep) have now been offloaded.
Winter pasture species have been planted in preparation for calving cows in a few months.
There is no doubt the months of autumn are a burst of activity on the farm preparing for winter.
A lot of factors that affect the economic viability of farming and livestock production are out of our control and this year to date is certainly throwing us some doozies of curve balls. More on that to come.
At least I shan't go hungry for a while.....

14/04/2026

In this district the pest species most involved in negatively impacting farm production, native wildlife and/or the environment are feral cats, wild dogs, Indian Myna birds and the European Red Fox.
Besides the obvious killing of lambs, poultry and every small native species they can hunt down during their nocturnal forays, foxes will also chew off teats and vulvas of downer cows (cows that cannot stand due to disease or injury), chew off tongues of calves as they are being born, carry the Neospora protozoan parasite which causes abortion in cattle as well as transferring mange and tapeworms.
Charming things!!!
A focus on eliminating one particular nightly visitor was required before the ewes began lambing and before my interrupted sleep pattern, due to the vocally ticked off domestic hounds took a toll.
Thanks to the expertise of CJP Hunting and some really incredible thermal and infra red gear these 2 didn't stand a chance.
Wolf dog was impressed and insisted on checking them out (and he asked me to tell you it apparently was his diligence in raising awareness of the second fox that achieved the result).
If he now catches mange from this close inspection, we will not be impressed.

10/04/2026

These incredible production animals never cease to amaze me.
Twenty commercial meat chickens arrived on farm as 2 or 3 day olds on the 10th February. These 6 are the last to be processed. They will be about 8 weeks old and dress between 2 and 2.3kgs. Processing began on the fastest growing ones when they were just 6 weeks of age. Their genetics represent the most phenomenal feed efficiency of converting low value inputs into high end protein; exactly what an excessively human populated planet demands.
A free ranging exercise program was undertaken and plenty of scraps provided to compliment the specialist meat grower pellets they were fed (and no, there are NO hormones in commercial chicken feed). Natural behaviors including dust bathing, insect annihilation, cow hoof avoidance were observed. Their athleticism in doing so left a lot to be desired but there was no doubt they were very happy chooks indeed in their attempts.
As they grow heavier, their desire to be running about plummets (as does any good looks). They are simply not designed to do so.
To allow these chooks a long life would be a pretty cruel thing to do.
It is most certainly an example of quality of life is far more preferential than quantity of life. Something some animal "rescuers" or industry critics need to remember perhaps?

07/04/2026

Twenty months ago, 2 yearling, unjoined, commercial Onward heifers were delivered to a property at Lansdowne, down Taree way (NSW) with a few straws of semen, suitable for heifers.
Given the change of environment, they were expertly managed to allow them to adapt and grow out for 8 months before being AI'd. (Artificially inseminated, nothing to do with the dumbing down of societies artificial intelligence!! 🙄).
Updated photos came through a week or so ago with thanks to Chris.
Everything has progressed, exactly the way you like to see it. 😁

01/04/2026

As part of the weaning process (permanently separating the calves from the cows), the calves are weighed, booster vaccinated with 7 in 1 (protection for clostridial bacterial diseases and leptospirosis) and treated for internal and external parasites (particularly buffalo fly this year).
Their (theoretically) permanent, compulsory NLIS (National Livestock Identification) tag is applied and they are tattooed in the ear with the herds stud prefix (SUE) and their individual unique number. (year letter and number)
Green ink is used- there will be signs. 😂
They are worked through and held in the yards for a few days and introduced to hay.
Selection is also made as to who will be retained, sold at the Top Of The Range Murray Greys sale, sold as commercial breeders or culled (to be homekilled or fattened for slaughter.)
It takes them no time at all to adapt to a life of independence without their milk supply, despite their vocal protests.

28/03/2026

ahh Psycho. You did not disappoint.
Regulars will be familiar with the story of Psycho. An orphaned Wagyu x angus steer who was reared and homekilled as an experiment to see how his genetics compared to the usual purebred Murray Grey heifers in regard to eating quality.

He was about 16 months old at time of slaughter, had been poddy fed for 1 bag of milk powder, then grass reared with a slow grain supplement over the last 6 months, killed on property and hung for 10 days. (from memory).
The Verdict.
A damn fine steak is a damn fine steak, no matter what. 😂
The steak assessment team today involved 5 great mates who all played a part in Psycho's story, from breeding, saving, transporting, rearing, feeding, cooking and consuming. (Another independent quality assessment has been ongoing coming from family who always receive half of the regular homekill body.)
We all know and love a good steak and rest assured, Stuie knows how to cook one. (1 rare, 3 medium and 1 well done)
They were excellent.
Thankyou Psycho.

Was it the best I've ever eaten?
I've tried to remain completely unbiased and with the help from the family who are eating the other half, we agree....
We'll be returning to Murray Grey for future homekills. :)
I honestly feel Psycho's lesser quality cuts (eg blade, chuck, topside) have been marginally better eating than the usual. His fillet and T-bones, however, that you would expect to be superb, are far less tender than what has been coming out of my freezer for the last few decades.
The Conclusion.
I shan't be changing my breeding program any time soon.
The steak assessment crew have decided to reconvene in 12 months time over some MG fillet steaks.
Be prepared to be blown away team. 😁🥩🏆
Footnote.
It did not escape our notice of how fortunate we are to be able to access and appreciate such healthy, real food. Perhaps that reminder was Psychos greatest gift.

27/03/2026

Not sure who received the biggest fright.
If you think walking upon a slumbering snake is a great heart starter, I can tell you, a snakes got nothing on an unseen brush turkey floundering about trying to take flight within metres of you, when you happen to stumble upon each other in a dark, dank, overgrown, prickly, steep, slippery, goblin hiding gully. 😂
It did provide another great example of the multitude of ecosystems so often found within any one farm, particularly beef grazing properties, that maintain a richness of diverse and natural environments.
The bird count for this property reached 70 species this week with the spotting of a migratory snipe and a rainforest dwelling rufous fantail. (still trying to get some of the local raptors sorted so I can add them to the list).
The Brush Turkey is a regular with quite a few known nesting mounds scattered about in the bush areas. A male is responsible for scratching together organic matter to form a large (several metres wide and a metre or so high) rotting (hence warm) pile of sticks, leaves, bark etc. Females lay their eggs in the pile and toddle off with nary a backward glance. He checks and regulates the temperature of the pile (using his beak as a thermometer) until the chicks hatch and they independently head off to fend for themselves. (talk about dysfunctional families!)
Foxes, feral cats and wild dogs decimate their numbers so it is always a pleasure seeing feathered turkeys about, rather than the human variety.
She looked a bit out of place up the tree but she certainly gave credence to the Flight or Fight response to danger. Literally.

26/03/2026

Some outstanding Murray Grey heifers being offered on AuctionsPlus Friday 27th March.
acc/ C & F James Glen Innes.
Including Onward Murray Greys bloodlines.
Link to their steer brothers in comments.

Lot 530 - 42 Weaned Heifers | WEANER & YEARLING SALE 1 - QLD & NSW, 27 March 2026 9:00 AM (SYD)