Swapping crops for a cattle station in the west

The McKeoughs made the huge decision 15 years ago to leave their wheatbelt farms behind and take on the pastoral challenge of a station in the WA’s north.

Alys and Harry McKeough of Carey Downs Station at Gascoyne Junction, WA.

From some of Western Australia’s most productive country to its most challenging – that’s the journey Alys and Harry McKeough took when they swapped their Northam cropping operation for 179,000 hectares of Gascoyne rangelands 15 years ago.

The couple left the wheatbelt, where prime agricultural land commands premium prices, for mulga shrub lands at Gascoyne Junction that receives just 200mm of annual rainfall and where survival, not profit, often dictates management decisions.

For Alys, the transition was particularly dramatic.

A Melbourne-raised nurse who came to WA to travel, she spent a decade in the state before meeting Harry in a country pub.

“I’m a city girl who met a farmer and ended up in the middle of nowhere,“ Alys said.

“As a newer person in the industry, I didn’t grow up with it, so I saw it as a great opportunity to expand my knowledge.”

FRESH THINKING WORKS

Her outsider’s perspective has proven invaluable at Carey Downs Station, which the couple has transformed through infrastructure and management changes, innovation and ingenuity.

They have swapped from sheep to cattle production, introduced an extensive trapping muster system that captures 90 per cent of cattle with minimal labour, used individual animal identification and data-driven culling to lift weaning rates by 40 per cent, and have combined a conservative stocking philosophy with strategic lupins supplementation that can double the value of lighter cattle by moving them into higher price brackets.

The couple is involved in a carbon project, rehabilitation and reforestation work on the station. They are also considering virtual fencing and other opportunities new technology could offer in terms of management and animal health.

By overhauling production efficiencies, Alys and Harry have created a drought-resilient operation that prioritises long-term sustainability over short-term gains.

Harry McKeough, Carey Downs Station, Gascoyne Junction, WA.

INFRASTRUCTURE PAYS

Seeking a low-cost management system with minimal inputs, the McKeoughs initially set about upgrading cattle yards and trap yards.

Every one of their 33 water points now feature a purpose-built trap yard with spring-loaded gates that allow cattle to move freely year-round, but can be quickly activated for mustering.

“Before a muster we slowly close them up until almost shut - they can walk through them fine,” Harry said.

“As soon as we want to muster, we close the outgate and within two nights and one day, we’ve got 90 per cent of the cattle if conditions are right.”

The system has transformed their operation.

While helicopter mustering captured the imagination, Harry said their trap yards delivered superior results at a fraction of the cost.

“It costs the same for one day of chopper mustering as it does to trap the rest of the place,” he said.

“We only need three extra staff for two days of chopper work, then trap everything else.”

If they had to replace all their trap yards today, the infrastructure would cost over half a million dollars.

But building them themselves over 15 years, the investment has “paid for itself many times over.”

A trap yard on Carey Downs Station, Gascoyne Junction, WA.

BEYOND LABOUR SAVINGS

The efficiency gains extend to animal health as the system is low-stress and cattle are familiar with the routine, animals remain calm throughout processing.

“Most cattle are only in there for a day, and they get a treat of grain when we let them go,” Harry said.

To manage cattle throughout the year and at mustering Rangeland Self Herding strategies are used including lick feeders, molasses rollers and lick shuttle.

Crushed grain (oats and lupins) are added to feeders, which are moved strategically away from the water between mustering, enabling under grazed country to be utilised.

Controlled dispensing and bells are used on the feeders so cattle can locate them when they are moved.

“The standout success of RSH has been the ability to maximise the effectiveness of our trap yards and attract scrub bulls into the trap yards at mustering,” Harry said.

“We also have the ability to trap cattle even when there is surface water available.”

DATA DRIVES DECISIONS

The McKeough’s respect for animal welfare aligns with their data-driven approach to herd improvement.

For eight years, every animal has carried individual ID, recording pregnancy history, weight gain, and performance metrics.

Alys said the results spoke for themselves.

“With preg testing and individual animal ID, we have lifted weaning rates by 40 per cent – from 50 to 70 per cent,” she said.

The improvement comes from rigorous culling of non-performers and keeping only pregnant, productive females.

Their walk-over weigher provides additional data for selection decisions, helping identify cattle that perform well in tough conditions.

“Any animals not calving at the right time are sold,” Alys said.

Running 1500 Droughtmaster cattle, including 700 breeders, they deliberately stock well below capacity.

“We could run more, but we’re happy with the number,” Harry said.

“It’s very conservative and allows us to get through those crook years.

“You can’t sell all your cows and buy new ones — you need cattle born on the place that know how to handle the tough times and where to find the feed and water.“

This philosophy proved its worth during 2023’s brutal season, when just 75mm of rain fell, but their core herd survived.

“If your herd keeps getting decimated by bad seasons, it will ruin you,” Harry said.

“You can’t send cows off on agistment – paying freight two ways is unviable.”

STREAMLINED HANDLING

Mustering is completed twice a year – a mini muster in autumn and their main muster in November.

The couple has designed a portable yard system nicknamed WOPA that includes a vet crush with scales, race, hydraulics, panels that swing out to create a force yard and bush yard, as well as a loading race.

“The whole setup has been designed to be positioned at the trap yards,” Harry said.

“With the hydraulics and design it is a smooth method to process cattle readily at each of the yards.

The McKeoughs used to predominantly sell steers for live export and the domestic market but now mostly turn off about 500 head a year to feedlots north of Perth from 320kg liveweight.

Older cows and slaughter cattle are sold directly to meatworks.

Value-adding by supplementing lupins has provided an extra marketing edge.

“There’s no market for light cows,” Harry said.

“Feeding cattle 1.5kg daily through self-feeder systems can transform a 400kg cow into a 440kg animal.

“To get them from under 400kg to over 400kg, you can potentially double the value of an old cow.”

SUSTAINABILITY PAYS

The couple’s forward-thinking approach extends to sustainability initiatives.

Four and a half years ago, they entered a 25-year human-induced regeneration project, reducing stocking rates further to encourage tree growth and earn carbon credits.

“It’s great because we’ve always had a rehabilitation mindset,” Alys said.

“We’ve done a lot of rehab here – there was degradation from sheep and goats previously.

“This fits into what we’ve been doing and helps pay for it.”

The carbon project involves strategic fencing and cattle management to promote natural regeneration.

“It’s about management of cattle and more tree cover,” she said.

“It’s good for the country and promotes healing.”

While some debate the methodology behind carbon farming, Alys and Harry remain convinced.

“We only get paid on what we grow – it’s a robust system,” she said.

“Some people are debating whether it’s legit, but it’s working for us.“

The project represents another revenue stream that helps drought-proof their operation while improving land condition.

INSPIRING ROLES

Beyond station management and raising their three children, Alys juggles roles as a practising registered nurse, shire councillor, and Chair of the Southern Rangelands Pastoral Alliance, while holding several other board and volunteer positions.

She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a 2023 Nuffield Scholar, researching how improved connectivity options could support cost-effective technologies for rangeland regeneration and management.

While the McKeoughs are keen to expand their use of technology, particularly Wi-Fi connectivity across the entire 179,000ha property to support cameras at water points, the economics remain challenging in their remote location.

Currently, checking all 33 water points takes 1.5 days with the furthest 65km away.

“We use satellite monitors but if they fail, they say it’s full – we’ve been caught out on that a few times,” she said.

“There is tech there to do the cameras but it is too expensive, you need something that is bang for buck.

“If we had connectivity comparable to our urban counterparts, it would completely change the options available to remote locations.

“It would allow for effective use of off-the-shelf hardware, providing a much more cost-effective alternative for technological diversification.”

Through her Nuffield research, and exploring solutions overseas, Alys hopes to remedy connectivity issues at Carey Downs to help further improve management efficiency and profitability.