Hoya

Stud 1937 – Hoya Pastoral Partnership is a family business dedicated to the production of sustainable, ethical, integrated farming practices, delivering quality produce and livestock as well as pastoral services. Tucked away in the Border ranges between Queensland and New South Wales in the headwaters of the Condamine river, at elevations of over 800m, are the two properties that are the backbone of our enterprise. “Riverdale” and “Brynerin” are drought-proof properties with deep red soils and minimal previous herbicide or pesticide use. We also have a smallholding in Stanthorpe “Bailiwick Farm” where we wean and start our young stock.

Our breeding programme aims to build on traditional Santa Gertrudis attributes to produce a fertile, docile animal with impressive 400-day growth rate. We handle our stock during weaning and select for biddable traits and also improve marbling by selection for docility.

We are ethical farmers and provide our cattle with low stocking rates ample access to water, shade and feed in an environment as natural as possible. We believe in removing horns (as we have seen the damage these can do to other cattle) but prefer to breed polled cattle if possible. We castrate our steers using caltrate rings at 12 months for natural growth promotion. We minimise stress during branding/dehorning by the use of local anaesthetic and return calves to their mothers directly afterwards. We are not ashamed to vaccinate (as we know the suffering preventable disease can cause) and use strategic treatments for ticks (but never organophosphates). We rotationally graze and use traditional mosaic fire practices to control pest species and reduce worm burdens.

We sell grass-fed 1 and 2-year-old steers to the grid for Jap Ox through Dinmore Meat works (JBS) and routinely return some of the best carcass prices. We also supply carcasses to individuals using local abattoirs and butchers in Brisbane and Boonah, because we believe everyone should have a right to know where their meat comes from and have access to it.

We also produce Bulls (both purebred and commercial) for sale to other pastoral enterprises mainly for F1 sires. In the past we have sold through the Northern Santa Gertrudis Group sale at Tamworth but our Bulls are also available by private treaty. We also have limited numbers of purebred heifers for sale each year.