ABOUT OUR BEEF
Most of the Emerald Hill herd are pure-bred Angus cows; a few cows have strains of British White, Friesian and Australian Droughtmaster. Our current bull is a pedigree Angus which (like several of our cows) was bought directly from Noonee Angus of Molong in the Central West.
The calves are born in the field and are suckled by their mothers. We use only hay when we need to supplement the feed available from the grass in our pastures to maintain the welfare of the stock and the quality of the beef. We never feed grain or pellets.
We promote animal health naturally as far as possible, through breeding selection, moderate stocking levels and pasture rotation. The only routine veterinary treatments are inoculation against common cattle diseases, and external drench to control intestinal worms, ticks and lice. We do not use growth-promoting hormones.
We also aim to build the health and resilience of the Emerald Hill soil. To this ends, we do not use synthetic fertiliser. Chicken manure and seed are applied to the paddocks in an annual program, and internal fencing in the grazing areas has been improved to assist in rotational grazing. The creek banks have been fenced, and a solar-powered water reticulation system delivers water to drinking troughs in every paddock.
We usually slaughter the animals at between 12-24 months old. They are taken directly to an abattoir about an hour’s drive from Emerald Hill. We use a premium service that ensures that the animals are processed promptly at the beginning of the day’s list.