Koijak Braunvieh

The Koijak Braunvieh Stud was established in 1975 and is the first Braunvieh stud in Australia.

By utilising an Upgrading program with Braunvieh semen over Angus and Murray Grey cows, the four crosses to reach Purebred ( males and females) was achieved in 1984. Since then over 650 Purebred calves have been born at Koijak.

Koijak El Nino - Horned pure bred

Total number of calves including grades is 1111 to date, which have all been Performance recorded.
Most breeding is done by AI and has been all performed by the owner each year for 35 years.

Of the 38 sires used so far, they include; Normann, Degol, Frowin, Starline Sullivan,Admiral, Markus, GL Gold Label, Swissway Chinook, Swissway Marshal, Quasar, Gold, and Ural.

It is worth noting that the Braunvieh at Koijak were run with stud Simmental for 12 years on the same conditions. More Braunvieh cows got in calf more often with more calves surviving and weaned a few kilos more than the Simmental. Personal experience of production made the choice in favour of Braunvieh.

Right from the beginning a goal at Koijak was to develop Polled Braunvieh.

With constant selection for functional traits of sound body structure, fertility, growth and udder structure, the Polled cattle that occurred due to the Angus base were upgraded four crosses to Purebred for both males and females. It was at that point once registered Purebred Polled males were able to be used over horned and Polled females that the Poll program expanded.

Koijak Leon - Polled purebred

With the current female herd of over 70 (all Purebreds) including 38 polled Purebred females. In addition to the current drop of bull calves many of which are polled, there are seven Polled Koijak bulls used so far. Although some have the Scur gene, by applying the Three Laws of cattle breeding Koijak Braunvieh will achieve the further goal of Homozygous Polled.

"At Koijak we are not trying to breed a Black Purebred as that is seen as slightly un-necessary as the cross of Braunvieh over Angus is usually black anyway."

Other significant events achieved by Koijak are:-

the first stud to get to Purebred Braunvieh, 1984.
the first registered Polled Purebred Braunvieh, April 1987.
the first to show Braunvieh at a Royal Show in Australia, Melbourne 1988.
the first to Import live Braunvieh into Australia, June 1989.

"One genetic decision that still has ongoing benefits was from the selection of Golden Link’s first group of Swiss Fullblood bulls in 1984. I chose Admiral then as first choice, #2 being Granat with #3 as Markus."

The ongoing showing of Braunvieh is continued by Koijak to display the Benefits of Braunvieh.

For those that have not heard of the Three Laws of cattle breeding they are

SELECTION - SELECTION and SELECTION.

It is the Centuries of Selection that makes Braunvieh breeding so effective and enjoyable.

We welcome visitors at all times with the usual advice beforehand.

Yours with Braunvieh,
Andrew Rainsford.

Directions to Stud; Located in Western Victoria 407 km west of Melbourne,on the Wimmera Highway 2km East of Apsley (40 km east of Naracoorte) then 3 km south on "Koijak Settlement Rd".

Postal address: Koijak Braunvieh

Andrew and Robyne Rainsford.
PO Box 45
Apsley
Victoria 3319, Australia

Phone/Facsimile: 61 -3-5586 1218
email. koijak@aapt.net.au