SOURCING leading genetics from across the world is Caitlin Williams' profession and has been the foundation for success for her family's young and progressive Shrublands Estate Angus and British Whites studs.

Ms Williams' degree in genetics and passion to learn from leading studs across the world is fast-tracking the genetic evolution of the five year-old studs.

Shrublands Estate studs and commercial herds run across 121 hectares of river flats at Thornton, in the State's North East.

The Angus arm was established in 2009 with 30 commercial Angus cows and calves and in 2012 grew to 100 stud and 50 commercial breeding cows following the purchase of Burnbend Angus Stud.

Shrublands currently produces 50 stud Angus bulls during a spring calving and smaller autumn calving, with their current crop of 18 month and two year-old bulls being the first produced under the new Shrublands Estate registration.

In 2013, Ms Williams travelled to the US where she visited some of the large Angus studs to learn about their way of breeding.

"My aim through using AI (artificial insemination) and ET (embryo transfer) programs is to increase the strength and soundness of the maternal side of our herd," she said.

"This has already started to show with our heifers moving into the breeding program this year and the growth and looks of our current drop."

The research trip followed another US visit in 2012 to Texas, where Ms Williams went to well-known breeder Jimmie West, of J West Cattle Company -- sparking an interest in the British Whites breed.

"(Jimmie) taught me a lot about the breed, emphasising their strong carcase traits, feed efficiency, fertility, calving, temperament and ability to adapt to different conditions," she said.

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