Queensland Farm Suffers Wet Spell

AUSTRALIA - For two years, one of the only large coastal cattle properties in south-east Queensland was shrouded in suffocating rain.
calendar icon 22 November 2012
clock icon 2 minute read

Heavy rain has drowned the plains, stunting grass growth and is stalling cattle breeding cycles, report ABC rural.

Lindsay is the third of five generations at Tandora on the junction of the Mary and Susan Rivers near Maryborough in Queensland.

He says the 4,500-hectare property, which runs up to 1,200 Brahman breeder cattle, has tackled droughts and floods in the past, but never a string of wet seasons.

"The cattle look rough, the calves are woody, we had worm problems which we've never had with breeder cattle before. The cows are stressed.

They have stood in the rain and the mud for two years. The grass was just growing in mud and there was no nutrition in it," added Mr Titmarsh.

Two hundred culled-cows left after the weaners were sold in May, are still in paddocks. And Mr Titmarsh says that equates to lost income.

Now, as his father did, Lindsay is changing production to deal with the changed circumstances. He's planting a few hundred acres of silage to fatten the culled cows and return better quality feed to cattle long term.

The land was previously sugarcane and is now being fertilised to prepare for the silage. But Lindsay expects that it will take a while until he can benefit.

"This is not going to solve the problem this year, really, but we hope we can get them on the road again next year so we get a good calving the year after that, then some weaners to sell the year after that."

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