Bill and Minnie Kee established Warringa Herefords at Yarram in 1991 and have been breeding Herefords for 33 years.
They initially bred horned Herefords but since 2010 they have bred Poll Herefords exclusively. They relocated from Yarram to Sarsfield in 2018.
They place great emphasis on quiet temperament and sound structure – genetics are selected for the commercial beef industry profit drivers of calving ease, growth, fertility, muscle and marbling.
They have been members of BREEDPLAN since the stud’s establishment and since the availability of genomics (genomically testing animals) have combined it with their herd recording to enhance the data they have on each of their animals and also improve the accuracy of the available information.
The Kees are great believers in the use of the various sciences available, not only to the seedstock producers but also the commercial cattle breeders.
With a better understanding of the use of these tools and therefore the introduction of better genetics, breeders can make more informed decisions in relation to achieving their breeding objectives, producing a product more in demand by the processors and ultimately the consumer.
This would lead to a better financial outcome for all participants in the industry.
Processors are prepared to pay premiums for cattle with better yields and carcase quality and the way to achieve this is not only by breeding a structurally sound animal, but one which is also genetically superior and the use of the data supplied by BREEDPLAN and genomics is the way forward to capture these premiums.
Four years ago, Warringa formed a partnership with four other Gippsland Hereford breeders and established Gippsland Performance Herefords with the vision “To sell young Hereford bulls with structural soundness and above average genetic merit.”
They all agreed it was important to have a point of difference and they therefore decided on the concept of having a performance-based online bull sale.
To qualify for the sale each bull had to satisfy various assessments and achieve various standards, these included independent structural and fertility tests, be in BREEDPLAN and be genetically tested.
They also had to be above average for many BREEDPLAN values or in the top 30 per cent of the Hereford breed for the Southern Self Replacing Breeding Index.
Warringa Herefords are confident the genetic merit of their bulls offered for sale will ensure purchasers the prospect of genetic gain within their herds to meet their breeding objectives.
Gippsland Performance Herefords’ fourth annual online bull sale will be held on AuctionsPlus on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 11am.
Warringa Herefords Beef Week Open Day is on Monday, January 29, 2024 between 9am and 5pm.
Warringa will have on display all their herd, including all their springing cows and heifers, yearling heifers and also their yearling bulls, some are for sale on the day and also those to be sold in the Gippsland Performance Herefords Bull Sale in September 2024.
Everyone is welcome to attend to inspect the cattle, discuss their breeding philosophy and enjoy the Kee’s hospitality.
