GOOD temperament, fat cover, doing ability, and yield - traits the Speckle Park is known for - make Speckle bulls a perfect fit for the Perrett family's crossbreeding operation in Central Queensland.
Ken and Lauren Perrett, along with their daughter Hayley and her fiance Kyle White, run 800 to 1000 breeders on the 16,187-hectare property Barakee, which is situated 25 kilometres south of Springsure.
The Perretts have used Speckle Park bulls in their predominantly Droughtmaster-based herd for the past six years.
The breeding program also includes Charolais, Simmental, and Angus genetics, with the focus being high-yielding cattle.
"With us it's all about the quality and the weight, not the colour of their skin," Mrs Perrett said.
"We try to keep mainly Droughtmaster females when we're retaining females, then cross from there."
They bought their first Speckle bull in 2018 and their interest in the breed has grown, with the Perretts running 19 bulls in 2023.
"I wanted to try them after we saw them at Beef 2018 and we thought they might cross nicely over the Droughties," Mrs Perrett said.
"That's the best cross we've picked up with them, over the Droughtmaster cows.
"They're good-doing cattle, they're soft, and as a beast to look at, their shape - those first-cross Speckle Parks are beautiful.
"The length and the depth is incredible."
Length and depth are priorities when selecting bulls, and they make the Speckle Park a complementary breed to the bigger-framed cows they're joined to.
"We like a bull with the depth in his flank, and you've got to have that length, eye muscle area, and rib length to get your high yields," Mrs Perrett said.
"All the other breeds we use are much taller than Speckles, but because of their bone, length, and depth, their calves weigh more than the straight Droughties.
"Speckles are also really good over the Charolais-cross heifers, and the Charolais over Speckle is a good cross too."
All calves are yard-weaned on sorghum hay grown on the property and moved with a motorbike to get them quiet.
"Temperament is a really big thing for us, and that's a trait the Speckles seem to have," Mrs Perrett said.
All steers are grown out as bullocks and processed at JBS Rockhampton, along with trade steers and spayed heifers.
The family has had success with Speckles from the start.
"In our very first mob of bullocks that we sent, half a deck was killed on their own and they all yielded better than 56 per cent," Mrs Perrett said.
"All steers go off the oats at predominantly two-tooth (16 to 26 months), and we like them to dress at 330 to 360 kilograms, so they're about 750kg liveweight."
Barakee is mainly improved buffel grass country with some forest country, and the Perretts grow about 285ha of oats each year as well as forage sorghum.
After weaning the cattle are grown out on the buffel, then finished on the oats.
"The Speckle cattle can finish quicker than the other breeds because they lay down fat well."
Ruth Schwager
Ruth Schwager is a journalist with the national agricultural features team.
Ruth Schwager is a journalist with the national agricultural features team.
