QUALITY, not quantity, is Colin Willmott's priority.
"I have always liked to breed top-quality cattle," says Colin, a retired dairy farmer and now a breeder of Limousins at Glen Alvie, in South Gippsland.
The transition to stud breeder began in 2000 when Colin converted his Friesian herd into producing vealers from Limousin sires.
Colin and wife Pam were so impressed with the Limousins that they set up Tarraleaha stud with the help of their daughter, Sharon Oates.
Sharon also runs the nearby Oasis breeding centre, which specialises in embryo transfers.
The Willmotts have invested in cows and heifers with Keystone Genetics, of Tuerong Park, Ingleside and Tullagoota.
All of these have been used for embryo transfers sired by top French bulls.
With a herd based on pure French genetics, it was no surprise to Colin that all of his cattle met Limousin Muscle Alliance specifications, including two copies of the muscling gene F94L.
The Willmotts joined the Limousin Muscle Alliance last year.
The stud will also be part of an AuctionsPlus sale to be held on February 26.
Four Tarraleaha Limousin bulls and heifers have been catalogued, including Colin's star lot - Tarraleaha RB Domino, an impressive 15-month-old, well-muscled black bull with a 400-day esti- mated breeding value of 685kg.
Colin said his objectives were to breed, select and market about 10 top bulls a year.
"And I would be quite happy to sell these bulls for $3000," he said.
On Sunday, Domino and the rest of the Tarraleaha Limousins will be on display at Glen Alvie as part of Beef Week.
