Massive Cattle Drive Nears End
AUSTRALIA – One of the biggest and longest cattle drives in recent memory is drawing to a conclusion.
3 February 2014
1 minute read
A 2,000 kilometre drive has taken 18,000 cattle from central western Queensland along stock routes towards Hay, in the Riverina region of New South Wales.
Pastoralist Tom Brinkworth bought the cattle from the Australian Agricultural Company.
Head drover Bill Little told ABC rural that six of nine mobs had completed the journey while others had got delayed.
Three mobs headed further east to make the most of seasonal feed conditions improving.
These, he told ABC rural are still to reach Uardry station.
Snags were hit throughout the journey with feed shortages and stock route regulations. Overgrazing became an issue because of a lack of rainfall.
This did not upset the cattle, which were praised by Mr Little for their behaviour.
"After these cattle get walked they become very good to handle and they don't stress.
"I'm very surprised how they've come in, they're tough cattle with a good constitution.
But he added: "We had to truck a few stock out when it got too tough for some of the lighter ones as we didn't want dead cattle behind us."
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