I have always had a passion for breeding animals.
It probably started when I was around 6 or 7 years old when I started breeding
mice. At that age, it was the possibility of breeding a wonderful range of
colours that interested me.
A few years later, my lifelong addiction to horses prompted me to breed my mare who produced my frirst home bred foal. Later still, I started breeding horses in earnest. But how to classify them ? The selection criteria in prospective buyers seemed to be pretty subjective.
Quite a few years
further on, I was starting to realise another lifelong dream - that of
owning a farm. What stock should I run ? I have spent many years working with
sheep, pushing huge numbers through yards and on to trucks and the thought of
breeding sheep didn't appeal. Both sheep and cattle have been selectively bred
for centuries and the opportunity for exciting genetic advancement is limited,
so cattle were out too.
At that time Boer goats were very new to Australia and to WA in particular but there was a move to promote them in the Agricultural sector and I embraced it by purchasing my first four does and a buck. Right from the start I felt that commercial criteria had to be my main thrust and so I selected animals that looked meaty.
A few years later, my lifelong addiction to horses prompted me to breed my mare who produced my frirst home bred foal. Later still, I started breeding horses in earnest. But how to classify them ? The selection criteria in prospective buyers seemed to be pretty subjective.
Quite a few years
further on, I was starting to realise another lifelong dream - that of
owning a farm. What stock should I run ? I have spent many years working with
sheep, pushing huge numbers through yards and on to trucks and the thought of
breeding sheep didn't appeal. Both sheep and cattle have been selectively bred
for centuries and the opportunity for exciting genetic advancement is limited,
so cattle were out too.At that time Boer goats were very new to Australia and to WA in particular but there was a move to promote them in the Agricultural sector and I embraced it by purchasing my first four does and a buck. Right from the start I felt that commercial criteria had to be my main thrust and so I selected animals that looked meaty.
In 1999 I purchased this property here in Mumballup with my business
partner and we were able to start breeding numbers. All the old breeders you
talk to in any breed of animal always say "breed lots- cull hard" and that's what
we did .... within the limitations of the property.
After a few years my business partner left the business leaving me to continue with a new partner, my husband-to-be, Ian.
After a few years my business partner left the business leaving me to continue with a new partner, my husband-to-be, Ian.
In 2001 I studied Holistic management with the
wonderful Bruce Ward as our mentor and as Ian is from a dairy farming
background, we started moving the goats through the paddocks and growing grass.
At first we couldn't afford fertiliser and then as we did more and more research
into chemical fertilisers, we made a conscious decision to NOT use
it .... and still we grew more grass ! We didn't use sprays either and we
watched in amazement as a greater variety of grasses, clovers and other herbage
appeared in our paddocks. Now we have used no chemical fertilisers or sprays for
nearly 16 years and while we are not Certified Organic we feel we live the
intent.
Today we have a wonderful line of Boer goats. It is a
type that can be recognised by anyone who sees them. They are solid and meaty
with a good depth of body and chest and wide in the loins. They do not waste
height in legs but neither are they so short in the leg that they are not agile.
They grow well and they do so on grass.
They are Tambookie Boer Goats.
They are Tambookie Boer Goats.
