Good Pastures Produce Premium Products
We have always operated on the ethos that the quality of what you produce is only as good as the land it grows on. And we have never stopped improving our farmland.
From our animals to our land and crops, we are dedicated to producing the best of the best, and have been investing in and developing our pastures and improving our breeding methods since the 1950’s.
We place our focus on four key areas:
- Land Development
- Water Management
- Genetics & Health
- Technological Advancement
Land Development
Prime Location and Constant Improvement
We are lucky to be farming in the natural, high-production environment of our shires here in Western Australia. And we have made the most of its natural quality with systematic, targeted development throughout our years of operation.
Much of our land we have cleared, developed and improved from scratch, but all of it has received significant investment in increasing its health, nutrient levels and overall quality.
We implement methods such as:
- Increasing nitrogen in our pastures to improve meat and milk production.
- Robust quantities of clover varieties and rye grass.
- Improving our pastures with annual hot ash and selenium treatments.
- Growing our own ryegrass and clover seeds to reseed, regenerate, and improve for the next round of cattle.
- Systematic rotation of pastures.
Water Management
Sustainable and Pure
On the Rhodes farms, our water is purer than rainwater. Our efforts to ensure that our livestock and crops only receive clean, quality water is a key factor in their quality and overall health. For our stock, the water purity ensures it is good for their guts and minimises bacteria and disease for strong, resilient and healthy animals.
We have consistently invested in making our pastures drought-resistant for sustainability with careful water management. Most of our water is run-off from groundwater and stored in our own dams, and we also have a key dam which is salt water with our own desalination plant. Both sources are used for everything from our cropping system to watering stock and finishing paddocks. The quality of our water is so high – we could drink it.
Genetics & Health
Proven Breeding & Raising Methods
Due to years of careful breeding, we are able to produce stronger, healthier animals with every season. Our team has invested significant resources into getting the standard of breed we have and maintain today. Our breeding ewes reach an average of 100% lambing, with high rates of twins and triplets, achieve pregnancy easily, and don’t die in birth – with their lambs consistently reaching high growth rates.
Our focus on genetics is paired with rearing them on good pasture with quality feed. Healthy animals are higher in protein, energy and fibre, have improved breeding rates and are more resistant to parasites and disease.
We have also developed our own feedmix, grown in our own pastures, which has been tailored for health and growth – and proven to enable our animals to put on weight. Engaging a professional nutritionist, we have designed specific mixes and rations for each phase of the animal’s growth and replenish the seed stock every year with our own harvest grains.
Technological Advancement
Efficient Crop and Animal Management
With such a large spread of acreage and numbers of livestock to manage, we have implemented the latest technological developments into our management process.
Our reporting and data systems allow us full production insight and traceability, giving us the ability to:
- Pinpoint which ram is throwing twins to guide future breeding.
- DNA our ram and ewe lambs so we know the parentage and history of each.
- Collect data such as each animal’s breeding index, growth rates, birth rates, body weights, and more.
- Utilise tags to determine all genetic history and aim for repeatability and improve our overall genetics.
- Trace animals in the field and on transport immediately in case of disease or problems.
Our goal is total traceability and the collection of actionable data to improve our operations across the board.
We also utilise cropping, GPS and satellite tech for spraying, spreading and harvesting to improve efficiencies, manage costs and outputs, and make decisions to maxmise production based on the latest data.
Our teams also use iPads on site for access to all data in realtime. From uploading livestock movements to instant health updates and animal information, this provides a total oversight of everything happening on our pastures.
About us
A leading operation in Western Australia, covering 15,378 hectares in the Boyup Brook, Arthur River and Kojonup shires.
Find out more© 2023 Rhodes Pastoral Pty Ltd - ABN: 54 639 205 860. All rights reserved.
