The Redstar Illawarra Stud was started after Bill, Liz and their family moved from New Zealand to Australia in 2002.
Bill's Grandfather had the ”Greystone” Milking Shorthorn herd and Liz’s Great Grandfather also had milking shorthorns though her grandfather started the pedigree stock with the Midvale stud. This was followed by Liz’s dad with the Greenhills Stud. Bill's father continued the Greystone herd as did Bill and Liz when they got married in 1980.
It was a very successful stud winning many prizes at most shows in the Canterbury area. Also many production awards were achieved and the Top Five Producing Cows Award in New Zealand was won on many occasions.
When the family arrived in Australia they purchased the herd with the property which was basically a grade Black and White herd although AI had been used for quite a few years. Heifers from the Springvale herd were purchased to commence the breeding of Illawarras. Purchases from Panorama, Llandovery, Glenhaven, Lynonga and Ovensdale studs followed.
The family have worked very hard, and it hasn’t been easy as it is very hard to obtain top animals to breed from, to get the stud to where it is today and highlights have been winning the Junior Champion and Reserve Champion in 2009 and the Best Exhibitor in 2011 at IDW. They have also won champion calf at the calf day. This actually was won by a calf who a year later won the Junior Champion at IDW. The family has won Reserve Champion Cow and Reserve Junior Yearling at Shepparton and Reserve Senior Yearling at the Calf Show, to mention a few. This all achieved since 2002 and starting from nothing.
Red Cow Farm is run on 280 acres on Spence’s Road, Katunga, with irrigation from the Goulburn Murray Irrigation System, milking 250 cows with summer crops of Millet, Sorghum and Lucerne, and winter crops of Italian and Annual Rye Grasses and Fodder Cereals grown with silage and hay used to supplement when required. Minimal grain is fed in the bail and average approx 7,000 litres per cow.
The aim is to breed top red cows that compete commercially and perform well in the show ring.
The family uses all AI on our cows and are excited with the availability of Bulls from world wide to help them with this endeavour. There is so much more selection than what was available in NZ. Top AI bulls are used for the above average cows and dairy beef AI on the below average production cows. They use the current PI as their guide in selection and selectively match up type according to type proofs. They also used sexed semen on the genetically superior heifers.
The family has an out-block of 95 acres where their young stock are run, their aim being to grow them the best they can, for these years are the most important. If heifers run short of feed at this age, they can not reach their potential and never make it up.
