Sixteen-year-old Makayla Saunders is doing something unusual for her age.
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With a passion for a rare heritage breed of cattle, Makayla formed the Ghinni Ghinni British Whites stud in November 2021, and is the sole owner and operator.
She says she fell in love with the breed after taking part in the Interschool Beef Competition earlier that year, in February, after meeting a British white heifer named Quinn, one of the animals in Chatham High School's Bulang Park Stud.
"She stole my heart," Makayla said.
"I was immediately drawn to her beautiful markings and docility. It was love at first sight."
After the competition was finished, Makayla immediately took to Google to search for British white cattle in Australia, where she found the British White Cattle Society of Australia website.
"I had a look at the cattle for sale and rang a lady who had some stud heifers for sale; sadly they were all sold," MakayIa said.
In November 2021, Makayla took a trip up to the North Coast of NSW to visit Dr Lindsay Murray, president of the British White Cattle Society of Australia.
During that visit, Makayla purchased two yearling heifers and a cow with a heifer calf, now the foundation herd of Ghinni Ghinni British Whites.
Makayla took the two yearling heifers to the Wingham Show on March 26, 2022 where she won Champion Pair of Interbreed Females. She plans to show the cow and calf later this year.
Makayla says she decided to start a British white stud over other more popular beef breeds due to their docility, unique markings, crossbreeding ability, and eating quality as well as moderate body size.
"Another main reason is they are cute!" she said.
"I am also drawn to the fact not everybody has them and there is a lot of potential for growth and development in the breed.
The moderate body size makes them a lot less intimidating and means it is possible to run more head of cattle on the same amount of acreage.
- Makayla Saunders, Ghinni Ghinni British Whites Stud
"I like that the cattle can be halter broken at nearly any age and do not stir easily in the yards. This is a big plus, as being able to handle the cattle safely in the yards is of utmost importance.
"The unique markings mean every animal looks different and can easily be distinguished, even without ear tags.
"The crossbreeding ability and eating quality means there is demand for the meat they produce. In addition, they can be finished on grain or fully grass fed.
"The moderate body size makes them a lot less intimidating and means it is possible to run more head of cattle on the same amount of acreage.
"Overall, I am extremely grateful I have found the British white breed as it is providing me with a fantastic opportunity to get a start in the agricultural industry," Makayla said.
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