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Greyman
| Developed
in Queensland in the 1970’s,
specifically to suit the
Queensland environment, the Greyman breed
was the result of combining the outstanding genetic characteristics
of both the Murray Grey and Brahman breeds.
With the Murray Grey being famous for their quiet
temperament, easy calving ability and excellent carcase qualities,
while Brahmans are without doubt the most successful tropical
breed, renown for their environmental adaptability and efficiency
and their parasite and disease resistance, the combination of
the two breeds has proved to be a very viable success.
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Originally this breed was recorded within its own Society, however
the original Greyman Society and its Herdbook were absorbed into
the Murray Grey Beef Cattle Society in the mid 1990’s, as part
of the Murray Grey Composite Register. More recently a separate
Greyman Register has been added providing a more effective recording
system. The Greyman Register continues to record bloodlines
and generations of breeding and includes a Murray Grey blood percentage.
Most importantly, however, it allows for the calculation of Estimated
Breeding Values that can be directly compared with those of purebred
Murray Greys. This process involves incorporating a penalty according
to the calculated hybrid vigour factor that results when crossing
two such distinct breeds. |
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Greyman cattle carry between 25% and 75% of Murray Grey blood, with the
remainder made up of Brahman. This allows breeders the option
of being able to “tailor-make” genetic blends, selected for optimal
performance specific to the region and environmental conditions.
More simply, Greymans can be bred with a greater emphasis on Brahman
content in the North or in “ticky” country, or with a higher percentage
of Murray Grey blood to suit softer, Southern pastures.
For the commercial
cattle producer Greymans have much to offer essentially because
they are very economic to keep. Qualities such as a natural
parasite and disease resistance means less expenditure on treatments.
The ability to calve unassisted and the fact that they are very
protective mothers means there are fewer calf losses. They cope
exceptionally well with drought and heat and do well on all
types of country no matter what the season is like so supplementary
feeding is often optional rather than essential. They have a
quiet temperament and natural curiosity so they learn quickly.
This is of particular advantage in feedlot situations where
they are known to settle in without stress and take to feed
very easily. Add to this the fact that the Greyman is among
the breeds that have been GeneSTAR tested positive to carrying
copies of marbling and tenderness genes. They also have
a proven reputation for efficient feed conversion, excellent
weight gaining ability and a rapid growth rate which results
in a quality high-yielding carcase.
It comes as no surprise that they return generous profits and bring premium
prices at sale time. Neither is it surprising that the commercially
popular Greyman breed is currently attracting interest from
overseas cattle producers, after all they are without doubt
one of the few Australian breeds adapted to maximum performance
and productivity under all conditions.
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| Watch this page for
further details regarding the Greyman breed, as well as for links
to Greyman breeders in Australia. |
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| Information and photos
supplied by Rod & Helena Dann of Eureka Greymans |
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