Arjaym Herefords

ARJAYM Background & History

The Mackenzie family has been proudly breeding Hereford cattle since the late 1960’s. With founder Richard & Hilary Mackenzie establishing “ARJAYM” Herefords in 1973.

Females were initially purchased from many leading studs including Widgiewa, Ardno, St Gabriels, K-Tem Park, Injimira, Glendan, The Camp, Koolomurt, Ken Palmer, Anchor & several others.

Sale batteries were initially purchased through St Gabriels, Injimira, Gorian, Mi-Von and in the early 1980’s part Australasian Semen rights to Canadian bulls Justamere Brigadier & Justamere Mainline. A ¼ semen share rights in another brilliant sire namely ML Diplomat 85R had a massive impact on our herd also. However, our most exiting and impressive progeny back in the mid to late 1980’s came from the Australasian marketing rights for L1 Challanger that we gained, along with several other studs in the early 1980’s.

ARJAYM Breeding Philosophy & Operations

Our main breeding focus has always been on breeding and producing sound, fertile, quiet, average birth weight, easy care Hereford cattle with superior growth (yearling & 600 day weight) and high yielding carcases that allows cattlemen to meet market specifications in the shortest time frame sustainably & naturally.
We breed and select Herefords that have the ability to adapt to either paddock or feed lot situations in varying environments and markets.

ARJAYM Herefords have been performance recording growth and carcase traits for many years now with all stud and commercial stock having Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s).
Annually 320 - 340 females from stud and commercial herds are joined across properties. Females are joined at 12-15 months of age annually.

Whilst BREEDPLAN and EBV’s plan a very important role in the selection of breeding units for herds and sire selection , strict visual appraisal and culling out of less favourable traits will never be lost.

‘‘you can have the best nutrition and genetics in the world – but if you loose focus and do not act upon the implications related to poor structure, and fail to visual appraise your cattle, and do not cull these traits out - you have nothing’’

Our breeding aim is to continue to produce high quality, sound, quiet, superior carcase and fertile Herefords for the Australian domestic and Export market.

We continue to be seeking out the most superior Hereford genetics and using them where we see appropriate to continue improve our profitability and the quality of prime product that we are putting out there in the industry.

Sires over recent years have been purchased from leading Herefords Studs in VIC, NSW & OS Semen. Including Banemore Herefords, Ironbark, Centennial, YavenVale, Yarram Park & Wirruna.

ARJAYM Today

The main breeding bases for ARJAYM Herefords are based in the divine Shire of South Gippsland in Tarwin Lower and Walkerville, VIC. Whilst some of the elite stud breeders were shifted interstate to operations managers and daughters Lucy Mackenzie’s Northern Base in Llangothlin, NSW in 2013 – due to the severity of the drought there all females have returned to their southern base, until conditions in NSW improve.

Business Partners Lucy and Herb Mackenzie are based in Llangothlin, NSW. Lines of Hereford Bulls are on site at ‘Seaforth’ ready for their upcoming sale from 8am at ‘Seaforth’ Llangothlin, as part of Day 1 of the Northern Beef Week.

Lines of both stud and commercial females and bulls are available for sale throughout the year. Semen Lots are also available for private sale upon request.

All enquiries welcome

Our website is still in the process of being put together – keep watching this space www.arjaymherefords.com.au