photo: Bruce and Patch yarding some yearlings 4/12/2009

We extend a welcome to Angus breeders and enthusiasts to call in and see us if you are ever passing by. Over the years we have made many friends and met many wonderful and interesting cattle breeders from all over the world and we would enjoy meeting you as well, showing you our cattle and having at the very least having a cup of tea and a chat. For a copy of our newsletter (2.3MB) click here

Dunlop Park Beef Production Field Day: Friday January 29th 2010

Our field day was originally planned for October 1st, but had to be postponed until January 2010 due the wet conditions.
You are most welcome to come along, for further information please contact us.
E-Mail: dunlop.park.angus@tassie.net.au or phone 0400 950 872

Program:

10.50am Introduction - Brian Stewart (Dunlop Park Angus Stud)

11.am The use of gene marker technology in the beef industry - Dr. Aduli E.O. Malau-Aduli (University of Tasmania)

11.30am Developments in GeneSTAR DNA marker technology - Sabina Kindler (Pfizer Animal Health)

12am Lunch

1pm Profitable beef production - Peter Ball (DPIWE)

1.30pm Gallagher Smart TSI weighing and data collecting system- Steve Sullings (Gallagher Australia Pty. Ltd.)

Annual Sale, Friday March 5th 2010. Contact us for details or inspection.

A catalogue is being prepared and will be available shortly.

E-Mail: dunlop.park.angus@tassie.net.au or phone 0400 950 872

Our Reference Sires
Our bovine johne's status
About the Dunlop Park Angus Stud
How to find us
About our property

Dunlop Park Selection Criteria
Sadly if you wish to maintain your own individual line of cattle in a mid sized herd such as ours (we have 120 breeding females) Breedplan is of little use. The reasons are fairly straight forward, we do not have enough linkages to other herds and the number of progeny from even our most productive bulls is not high enough to give a reliable indication of that bull's merit. It just takes too long to filter through the system. The tragedy for the Australian Angus herd is that genetic diversity is being lost.

We base our breeding program on a number of selection criteria. We use objective measurement recording birth weight, weaning weight and scanning weight. We scan for eye muscle area and inter muscular fat. We measure the scrotal circumference of our bulls and this year we have used GeneSTAR to guide us on the marbling, tenderness and feed efficiency traits of our cattle.

We use visual assessment for thickness, structural correctness and feet. We also pay attention to temperament.

We value feedback, for instance we follow up the carcasses of our stock in the abattoirs as well as observing how cattle bred from our bulls sell at auction. Dunlop Park bred stock continually receive a premium at auction.

We normally make a final decision on which bulls and heifers are used in our herd around 2 or 3 months after weaning.

We aim to produce a feed efficient structurally sound animal that maintains the characteristics that set Angus apart as a breed. A Dunlop Park animal will have a low to moderate birth weight, an ideal growth rate for Tasmanian conditions and all the carcase traits of muscle, marbling and tenderness that Angus cattle are noted for.

Bovine Johne's Disease Status
Dunlop Park has tested in the Goverment Vet's retirement fund scheme and now has MN2 status.

DUNLOP PARK ANGUS STUD
A Short History
Dunlop Park was established in 1975 using females from the well known Springvale Stud established by Roy Nicholas at Sassafras in 1948.

The following year we had the opportunity to purchase the majority of females from the Springvale stud as Roy wished to leave the Stud industry. Dunlop Park bloodlines can therefore claim to have 50 years of continuous breeding. Since then we have only added 3 females from other herds making sure they tie in with our genetics.

We have been very selective in our use of sires. In the early 1980's we purchased Noranda Glowman then the top Angus refernce sire in Australia. His purchase was followed with an A.I. program using several Canadian sires. These included Kenalta McHenry who was used for milk and growth and Riverbend Jupiter used for muscle. We were one of the first Australian studs to use QAS Traveller 23-4 who added milk, growth and marbling to our cattle.

We have used VDAR New Trend 802, VDAR Lucys Boy 101, TCA Jackpot 6807, KMA Highroller 5025, Congaree Sleep Easy E27 and GT Maxwell 362. We aim to ensure genetic diversity from our top female families. Our objective has been to produce cattle with medium frame and the 4 M's; milk, marbling, muscle and mobility.

In recent years we have steered away from the usual AI sires so that we can offer our customers genuine out crosses with our cattle. We have brought some New Zealand blood in to maintain the thickness of our cattle by using Jake of Turihau. We have also used 2 bulls from Peter Grieve's Talooby stud in New South Wales.

For more details on sires currently being used in our herd, visit our Reference Sires page.

For some more information on the Dunlop Park property click here

Muscle and Marbling
An effective breeding program in a beef herd requires feedback on carcase quality.

At Dunlop Park we do this with every animal that goes to slaughter

With the cooperation of Devonport City Abattoirs we evaluate Dunlop Park cattle for muscle and marbling. Most cattle killed showed some degree of marble, and muscle among the very best to go through Devonport City Abattoirs. With this program we have been able to establish families which produce most marble, the majority of the bulls that we breed have the marbling characteristics from either their dam or sire.

How to Contact us
Bruce, Pat and Brian Stewart
Phone 03 64 269 239, international 0061 3 64 269 239
Fax 03 64 269 166, international 0061 3 64 269 166
Mobile Bruce: 0419 269 239, international 0061 419 269 239
Brian: 0400 950 872, international 0061 400 950 872
E-mail: dunlop.park.angus@tassie.net.au

How to find us
Dunlop Park is situated about 15 kilometres east of Devonport on the North-West Coast of Tasmania. We are on the Exeter Highway one of the two main roads linking Devonport with Launceston.
The property address is
'Dunlop Park'
4938 Exeter Highway
Thirlstane, Tasmania 7307

UPCOMING EVENTS
If you would like information on the Tasmanian Angus Sales in 2009 please feel free to contact us via e-mail at dunlop.park.angus@tassie.net.au Tasmania can be accessed by air or sea. Devonport Airport is only 15 minutes driving time from 'Dunlop Park' and is serviced by Qantaslink flying from Melbourne. The Tasmanian ferries 'Spirit of Tasmania I and II dock in Devonport which is also only 15 minutes driving time from 'Dunlop Park'.

Angus Sales in March 2010

For the convenience of those traveling from the Islands or the Mainland these Angus sales have been arranged on consecutive days. All will be held using the Helmsman auction system.

Wednesday March 3rd

Antu Angus Sale 2pm at The Gardens, via St. Helens

Thursday March 4th

Quarterway Angus Sale 11am, North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale

Friday March 5th

Dunlop Park Helmsman Sale 11.30am, at Dunlop Park, Thirlstane

OTHER SITES OF INTEREST
Angus Links
The Angus Society of Australia
A*L*O*T ANGUS ASSOCIATION(possibly the best listing of links to other angus sites)
American Angus Association
Aberdeen Angus Links
Canadian Angus
New Zealand Angus
Other Australian Angus Studs with Homepages
Other Agricultural Links
Agriculture Online
Meat and Livestock Australia
Farming OnLine
Farmwide
Infarmation
Tasmanian Links
Tasmania On Line (the most comprehensive listing of Tasmanian Web sites)
On Tasmania
Agfest machinery field days. The Tasmanian Angus Committee sells steak each year at Agfest.
Other interesting links
Latrobe Apex Club
Search Engines
Google
Altavista
Web Wombat