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10 - TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1995 FARM & COUNTRY LIFE \ THE PORT PERRY STAR wh Many owners are part-time farmers Small but mighty "Aussie" Bill Tran and Kevin Willis in front of a hungry h herd of Murray Greys ¢ at Curency Farm near Epsom. The two men are cheerleaders of the breed, which is rapidly gaining popularity in Scugog and across Canada.Despite the name, Murray Grey cattle are not always a sliver color -- their coats range from the .- color of a newly minted dime to a warm, chocolate hue | HE COLOR OF MONEY issilver at a farm near Epsom. A big old barn and a renovated farmhouse are the heart of Currency Farm, where a fris- ky pup named Dollar greets visitors with energetic fer- vor, where the chores are done by owners Bill Tran and Penny Morton, and where the livestock of choice is, for the most part, the color of a newly minted dime. The playful money references obviously stem from the owners' first names -- not a preoccupation with the mighty buck -- but it's more or less a coincidence that the Murray Grey cattle in the barnyard are the color of money. Fact is, Murray Greys come in a small rainbow of col- ors, from pure silver to dun grey -- and there's a few in the Currency Farm paddock that look suspiciously like good chocolate. But their silver color wasn't why Bill Tran decided to invest in Murray Greys. "I used to work for Dr. Wilson in Uxbridge," he says, -.where he first set eyes on a Murray Grey and was immediately smitten. "They're just so very docile to work around. When we bought the farm (in 1987), we both had outside jobs and we wanted easy keepers, easy calvers. We didn't want to be chasing any crazy cows around the barnyard." Indeed, it's the Murray Grey's gentle disposition that attracts many farmers to the breed -- especially part- time farmers who don't have as much time to spend working with their livestock. Kevin Willis of Manilla is president of the Canadian Murray Grey Association. Like Bill (who is a director of the Canadian association and president of the Ontario Murray Grey Association), he too holds down a job off the farm. Kevin says it's impossible for himself and many farmers to earn a living strictly off the farm, which is why it is so important to be involved with a breed of cattle that requires minimum maintenance. "I-need a quiet cow because I'm not home all the 7 time," he says, sitting with Bill Tran around the kitch- en table at Currency Farm. "You could walk out amongst the cattle and they wouldn't scatter everywhere." Bill agrees, adding, "I would say the majority of (Murray Grey owners) are part-time farmers." Along with a gentle disposition, the Murray Grey features other characteristics that are welcome to part-time and full-time farmers. They boast easy calv- ing, strong maternal instincts, a good milk supply, nat- ural polling (no horns), dark pigmentation of the skin to prevent pinkeye and sunburned udders, adaptabili- ty (thriving on a wide range of Canadian climates), rapid growth, early marketing and excellent feed conversion. As for the meat, Bill and Kevin say the yield and the grade are outstanding, with consistent AAA marbling. "WHEN YOU GET A STEAK, you get a fine bone in it," Kevin explains. "The consumer doesn't want those big steaks anymore, or the big roasts. They even want the carcasses smaller." Bill adds, "The smaller the carcass is, usually the better the flavor is." Small is better, the two men claim. While some breeders of other, bigger cattle scoff at the size of the Murray Grey (1,200 to 1,300 pounds compared to a Simmental, which mi ight weight 1,700 to 1,900 pounds), Murray Grey breeders claim the smaller size is actually an advantage. They're easier to handle, they go to market quicker, and the meat shows less fat and more muscle. "The (restaurant and food) industry is saying we have to go smaller," Kevin says. They are also less expensive than other breeds to raise, the men say, because they don't require food sup- plements. Kevin says the only time he uses grain is when he's shipping cattle to market -- the rest of the time he feeds hay and pasture. Grain obviously speeds the time it takes to ready an animal for market. With grain, Kevin says it takes between 12 and 14 months. cattle popularity On hay alone, he figures the time increases to between 16 and 18 months. "That produces the carcass we're looking for, around 500 pounds." And because cows have an easy time calving, they lose few calves at birth. Of course, not everything is sweetness and light. Both Bill and Kevin admit they have their share of problems too -- it's just their Murray Greys seem to have fewer problems than other breeds. "We've never had a year where there wasn't a problem of some kind, but the Murray Greys have been great for me. My expectations were met," Kevin says. And as Bill says, "If you have livestock, you have down-stock." But the key is, the mortality rate is lower, and the cost of raising an animal to market is lower, than other breeds. Obviously, a bigger animal means bigger bucks at the slaughterhouse -- "But how much does it cost to get the big animals there?" Bill asks. Still, the smaller size has been a stumbling block. "In the late "70s the breed started getting bigger, but the Murray Grey didn't keep up with the industry growth, and they seemed to fall off a bit," Bill says. He has mostly positive things to save about his cattle, but, "I guess the biggest downfall for me is the (lack of) acceptance by other breeds," he says. "I do think we're getting more accepted all the time." It's amazing they even developed as a breed in the first place -- if it wasn't for a woman named Helen Sutherland, there wouldnt be a Murray Grey. THE FIRST MURRAY GREY calf can be traced to its birthplace, along the Murray River in Australia. In 1905, a light roan shorthorn cow was bred to a black Aberdeen Angus bull, producing a silver grey calf. Over the next years, this cow dropped only grey calves, 121in all, until 1917. Their owner, Peter Sutherland, saw them as muta- tions and wanted to destroy the calves. But his mother, Helen, perhaps taken by their color and their gentle- ness, wouldn't let her son harm the calves. These unique silver to dun grey calves were the nucleus for the breed and were soon recognized for their outstanding condition and size, as well as their excel- lent carcass cutability. They were first imported to Canada in 1970. Alberta is the biggest Murray Grey province with Ontario in second place. The Scugog area is "a hotbed" for Murray Grey cattle, thanks in no small part to the efforts of people like Kevin, Bill, and their business partner, Doug Holtby. The three men each have their own farms, but they formed 'BDK Cattle Co.' to allow them to improve their own genetic pool, and to allow them to buy cattle they wouldn't be able to afford as individuals. One of their biggest purchases was Willow Creek Barbie 210B, bought last year for $7,000 from a farm in Alberta. A real winner, Barbie's show record is long and illustrious, including several Grand Champion titles. BDK has also run a bull test station, allowing a direct comparison of young bulls -- all of this is done to prom- ote and improve the breed. Many hours are spent tak- ing their cattle to shows all over the country, from the Calgary Stampede to the Royal Winter Fair, with a number of smaller fairs in between. Like Kevin and Doug and other enthusiastic Murray Grey panes, Bill wouldn't trade his cattle for any other reed. "I've been around a lot of cattle in my life," Bill says, "and I knew if I was ever going to have a farm of my own, I would have Murray Greys." For more information, call Bill at 985-0151 or Kevin at 786-2126. This feature story by Cathy Olliffe has been reprinted form the Port Perry Weekend Star If you have a unique or interesting farm story to tell - Farm & Country Life would like to hear from you. Contact the Port Perry Star at 905-985-7383 and let us Khow. Maybe your story: could be featured-in Farm -and Country Life.