End of a successful run as Vitulus Stud parts with its stock
IT WILL be the last stand for Margo Hayes at this year’s Toowoomba Royal Show.
She will take a team of ausline cattle to Toowoomba at the end of the month, before offering the cattle at her dispersal sale.
The decision to part ways with her Vitulus Stud stock has not come lightly, but after 25 years of perfecting the genetics, Mrs Hayes is looking forward to “me time”.
From exporting genetics across the world to live exporting shipments to Thailand and claiming grand champion carcase at the Ekka twice, stud principal Mrs Hayes is satisfied with her achievements.
Her Thornton-based stud is home to champion ausline and lowline cattle that produce high-yield meaty animals, suited to smaller acreage farms.
“It’s taken me years to expand the gene pool and get these lines going,” she said.
“(But) it’s a chance for other people to use these genetics and show stock.”
The successful breeding and genetics resulted in Vitulus Stud taking out grand champion bull at the Ekka for eight consecutive years.
Mrs Hayes said the cattle were bred to produce docile and fertile cattle that exhibited strong “beef traits”.
“We are in the beef industry, so we want them to exhibit beef traits,” she said.
Mrs Hayes won’t completely exit the cattle industry and will continue with her commercial stock.
“Running a stud is time consuming ... and you really have to show cattle to be recognised in the stud environment,” she said.
It’s taken me years to expand the gene pool...
— Margo Hayes