COWS &
STARTER HERDS
At Phepson Angus, we breed resilient, forage-raised cows with the maternal strength and structural soundness to flourish in regenerative, grass-fed systems.
Raised in a holistic, low-input system, they are fertile, functional, and thrive on pasture alone.
Phepson Angus cows
Proven genetics for profitable, low-input systems
Your cost comes from your cows and their ability to bring a marketable calf year in year out, problem free. This is why we focus on maternal cows at Phepson Angus. Our cows must breed in 3 cycles without the crutches of winter housing or high energy feed or they are shipped.
You hear of people calving over 3 months or more. A calf born 90 days later than your first is already behind by over 100 kilos before it even starts. It really doesn’t matter what the growth rate is when your late calves are that far behind. Tighter calving saves on labour, it saves on inputs and makes your management of cohorts much easier. That is why fertility is recognised as the number one trait for the profitability of a suckler herd and that is why it is the number one focus here at Phepson Angus. It’s the cow not the bull that drives your profitability.
Body condition is monitored throughout the year to observe how the cattle respond to the test of outwintering on a diet of 100% forage. Our cows fit this system.
They gain condition on spring and summer grass, calve outside with ease, provide enough, but not excessive amounts of milk to raise their calf; ensuring they have reserves to see them through the winter. Our cows are of moderate frame size but selected for large rumen capacity making them extremely efficient forage converters.
The cows lose some condition over the winter; but are able to sustain their own maintenance requirements whilst still suckling a calf through the winter on forage alone; a credit to the performance of the genetics in this herd. This makes a profitable cow.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
For people used to buying bulls that are fed grain, it can be difficult to picture what a 2-year old will look like when he's all grown up.
Hopefully this video helps!
Phepson Elite T008
Focus on the Feminine
Why for us it's all about the cow
By looking at the calving record of each cow, we can see which animals bred in the first or second cycle each year.
We can also see if any animals gain time through their breeding life. For example, if they have their first calf in July, subsequent calf in June and then are first cycle breeders in May from then on, it shows that the animal is inherently fertile in our grass-fed production system.
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We send out a newsletter every few months with updates on breeding cattle for fertility, longevity and to be excellent forage converters. It's also the first place we list available livestock, so sign up to avoid missing out!