Summer brought a very satisfactory first drop of calves by Whine Not Efficiency 052 (aka Fish). Six bull and three heifer calves arrived with no calving difficulties. Apart from a minor scouring episode with Clancy, all the calves and their mothers have done and are doing very well.
Registered Fullblood Senepols
Criss has an impressive pedigree that includes WJ Wizard (MGS), RAB Mr Efficiency S126A (PGS) and a double cross of CN 5480 (Hercules). A nice confident heifer, she was named "Criss Cross" in recognition of the double cross.
His name might suggest a future in the rodeo ring but I have other plans for this fellow at Whine Not.
Debbie is a pretty special heifer with no close relationship to any of the AI sires that have been widely used in Australia. When she and Criss are ready, they'll both be AI'd to introduce fresh genetics to the herd.
Boney is the youngest of the drop. He's coming along nicely and his mother is doing a pretty commendable job for a heifer on poor quality pasture.
Registered Senegus
Rancy is my third good Senegus calf out of an excellent Red Angus cow, Sandstone X804 (aka Sandy). By three different Senepol sires, all these calves have demonstrated pleasing general quality as well as the high growth attributed to hybrid vigour.
Registered Cross-bred (Senepol A grades)
The cross-bred calves are particularly gratifying as they demonstrate the potential of a Senepol sire to improve a herd while adding hybrid vigour, heat tolerance and tick resistance.
Cathy is out of a nice Foundation Brangus cow and she's destined to be a great breeder. She's inherited some nervousness from her Mum but has a pleasant temperament nonetheless.
Airy is out of an honest Enrolment Brangus cow who impressed me with her growth and trouble free qualities. It will be interesting to see how he develops.
Unregistered Cross-bred
Cashew is out of an angular Jersey cross Angus cow (Hazel) that acted as an embryo recipient the previous year to produce Whine Not Billabong. There's nothing angular about Cashew!
Cashew is shown again below, several months later in early August, now 7 1/2 months old and coated up for Winter.
Clancy's mum (centre) is a Murray Grey cross Brangus cow that was previously used as an embryo recipient to produce Whine Not Crikey. It is interesting to note that the Senepol cross by Whine Not Efficiency 052 has knocked out the grey (diluter gene?) to allow the Angus blackness to dominate. Cow and calf are busy here making the best of a poor paddock.
Whine Not Debutante is now 9 1/2 months old and presenting pretty well at about 220 kgs. She's responded well to halter training and seems to enjoy it but she doesn't lead with much grace!
Whine Not Criss Cross will be 1 year old in 2 or 3 weeks' time. At around 270 kgs she is starting to express the quality of her pedigree. Her docility is exemplary and I anticipate that she has a long and distinguished breeding career ahead of her using the best AI sires I can source.
Whine Not Chain Store will be 1 year old in 4 weeks time. The combined blood lines from RAB Mr Efficiency S126A and AMI 635E (Flor de Mayo) seem to have worked well and allow plenty of freedom for him to be used by most Australian Senepol herds without concern for inbreeding. He's doing very nicely at about 340 kgs. (P.S. Chainy was sold early in 2009 to an organic beef producer at Moorland who has renamed him "Windsor".)
