Season 1
Welcome to episode three of the Polldale Podcast with Katja and Ned Williams Williams. This week, Katja Williams and Ned go behind the scenes of the family and daily operations that keep Poldale running. They share each family member’s role, discuss balancing cattle, business, and family life, and explain how adapting management practices and investing in infrastructure have strengthened their program. The conversation also highlights influential female bloodlines, standout bulls that exceeded expectations, and the work that goes into preparing for sale season. The episode concludes with a preview of Polldale’s show history in Episode 4. Learn more at https://polldalestudshorthorns.com/ Listen wherever you find your podcasts!
Welcome to episode two of the Polldale. Podcast with Katja and Ned Williams Williams. This week, Ned discusses what makes a good bull on the Polldale podcast, drawing on their Shorthorn breeding experience at Polldale Shorthorns. They explain why they chose Shorthorns, emphasizing strong maternal traits rooted in dairy Shorthorn heritage, productivity, adaptability, and hybrid vigor used widely in commercial and composite programs. Ned cautions against single-trait selection and chasing breed trends driven by marketing, advocating balanced cattle that remain functional and profitable. He outlines how he assesses bulls visually and structurally—head and constitution, shoulder set, rib and width, spine, testicles, mobility, and overall presence—alongside fertility and longevity goals. They stress evaluating parentage (especially the dam), focusing on building a consistent female herd to simplify bull selection, and using EBVs/IGS figures as a tool alongside phenotype, with kill data considered most reliable. Learn more and save the date for the on-property bull sale here: https://polldalestudshorthorns.com/ 02:03 Why Shorthorns Matter 03:49 Avoiding Single Trait Traps 05:00 Trends and Marketing Waves 07:19 Bull Basics Checklist 09:38 Parentage and Long Lead Times 11:03 Shorthorns in Crossbreeding 14:11 Decision Making and Cow Herd 16:49 Youth Program Selection Advice 18:44 EBVs Versus Stockmanship
Welcome to episode one of the Polldale podcast, where Katja Williams introduces her husband, Ned Williams of Polldale Shorthorns near Dubbo. Together, they are a fourth-generation Shorthorn breeder continuing a multi-generation family legacy of the Williams family. Ned recounts how his grandfather moved the family property, expanded holdings from an original soldier settler block, and improved hard country through pasture development, increasing carrying capacity. He outlines the stud’s origins from a commercial base, the development and tracking of key female lines, and how family partnerships built infrastructure and income through cropping and other work. Ned shares core breeding lessons: cull for fertility, select for constitution and structural integrity, manage nutrition through production stages, and cull heavily for temperament for safety and repeat customers. He discusses changing Shorthorn trends, avoiding single-trait chasing, and defining longevity through feet, udder, and fertility, with a commercial focus. Learn more and save the date for the on-property bull sale here: https://polldalestudshorthorns.com/ 02:23 Williams Family Origins 03:30 Soldier Settler Block 04:20 Building the Property 06:36 Shorthorn Female Lines 09:13 Kim and Da Partnership 10:26 Kim and Liz Grow Poldale 14:29 Core Breeding Lessons 18:20 Temperament Matters 21:49 Breeding Goals Evolve 26:08 Longevity in Cows