Cattle Yards | Halleen Australasian Livestock Traders | Chittering, Western Australia
Halleen Australasian Livestock Traders Pty Ltd has been operating internationally since its inception in 1983. Since that time, Halleen’s has provided quality Australian livestock to the world with a predominate focus on the Asian market.
As part of their breeding enterprise, Halleen run a predominantly Santa Gertrudis herd in Chittering Western Australia, approximately an hour north east of the of Perth.
The 1000-acre cattle property has been managed by Keiran Jennings for the past five years. For Keiran and owner Ian Halleen, the Santa Gertrudis breed are well suited to the local Australian market, as well as the export market. For Keiran, they handle the climate and conditions well, and produce a quality end product for consumers. The property currently runs approximately 250 breeders, produce and sell bulls as well as trade over 2,000 head through the sale yards.
“If we were to run 100 cattle through our old yards before, it might have taken us three quarters of the day to get the job done. With the new yards we have been able to reduce that to a couple of hours.”
With large numbers of cattle going through their previous yards to be processed, treated, and monitored, Keiran and Ian identified the pressing need for a set of cattle yards that increased both efficiency and safety, while promoting stock flow when working solo.
The previous set of yards were identified as under capacity for large mobs and unsafe to work in, offering no cattle free areas and poor stock flow. The priorities for Kieran and Ian when planning and designing the ProWay Yards was an increased holding capacity, the ability to work safely and conduct husbandry operations more efficiently and reliably.
“There is now plenty of room for us to move cattle to different pens, and out of the way safely. We can really get a good look at cattle as they go past us and we always have options.”
The new yards are set on an area of 1,500 square metres which is significantly larger than the previous facilities, allowing bigger mobs and more flexibility.
Halleen contacted ProWay in early 2021 with the planning stage progressing throughout the year and then construction beginning in late 2021 with the final yards being completed in January 2022. Keiran has been running these yards for over a year now and is pleased with the increased efficiency and how well cattle flow.
For Keiran, cattle work and throughput has significantly improved.
“It just flows a lot better and a lot quicker. We’ve got a bugle that feeds the cattle into the race and can fit around 15 head in there to drench, vaccinate, weigh and draft.“
The leadup also offers flexibility to load and receive cattle more efficiently.
“The same bugle that feeds to the race can be switched to the loading ramp which works well.“
“ProWay provided insight and knowledge when designing the yards and I think that’s the benefit of building a new set of yards with features that have been tested and built before.”
Keiran became familiar with ProWay Livestock Equipment when he had seen the ProWay designed and installed WAMIA Sale Yards in Muchea.
Although cautious of the distance from head office on the other side of the country, once contacting them Ian and Keiran were confident, ProWay were the right choice.
“ProWay being in the eastern states a long way from WA seems like a stretch, but once everything was planned and manufactured it was here quickly and installed by ProWay’s WA based contractors.”
Keiran he spent many hours with WA designer Troy Brose, discussing design features and options.
With the cattle yards operational, Keiran couldn’t be more pleased with how the facilities have improved their operation.
“It’s gone above and beyond for us. We work safely, we work quickly, and the job is done without any struggle. Without this set of yards that wouldn’t be possible.”
“It’s gone above and beyond for us. We work safely, we work quickly, and the job is done without any struggle. Without this set of yards that wouldn’t be possible.”
