Hereford steers have recorded the second and fourth highest daily weight gains in the 2022 Lardner Park grassfed trial, after the fifth and final weigh on November 28.
David Meikle, Tarwin Poll Herefords, Meeniyan, entered two teams with the top pair of steers recording individual average daily weight gains of 1.46 and 1.54kg, to give an overall average daily weight gain of 1.50kg for the pair.
This placed the Herefords second behind two Angus steers with a gain of 1.55kg/day from Tim Wilson, Amphitheatre Pastoral Partnership, Labertouche.
Mr Meikle’s second team had an overall average daily gain of 1.41kg, placing the pair fourth. The top Tarwin steers were sired by Tarcombe Homeland P177 and the fourth-placed pair by Wirruna Nolan N146.
The trial began at Warragul, Victoria, in July with 26 producers from across the state entering 70 mixed breed steers.
Many producers and stakeholders enjoyed a barbecue and networking session at the final weighing before the steers were transported to JBS for processing.
There was also a presentation to several Agriculture Victoria Better Beef participants who had taken part in a steer assessment exercise to estimate the fat cover and muscling of the live animals, then compared these with the actual carcase measurements.
The carcase data will be analysed by Greg Ferrier and Fiona Baker, Agriculture Victoria before the steer trial awards are held on Friday, March 24 at Farm World.
The pair of steers from Stan and Denise Walker, Charellan Poll Herefords, Pearsondale, had an overall daily gain of 1.26kg and individual overall gains of 1.35 and 1.17kg.
Steve Robinson’s team from Moorville Poll Herefords, Moorooduc, had an overall daily gain of 1.12kg per pair and individual gains of 1.29 and 1.12kg.
Tim Hayes, Tarcombe Herefords, Ruffy, entered two teams with the overall pair daily gains of 1.10 and 1.22kg. Individual gains ranged from 1.08 to 1.23kg.
The black baldy/Angus team entered by Barb Stewart and John Sonnet, Riverbend, Kernot, finished on an overall gain of 1.25kg and individual gains of 1.19 and 1.30kg.
David Meikle said the weight gain of the Tarwin teams had been consistent throughout the trial.
“It is reassuring and means their consistent performance is not a flash in the pan – the Herefords are holding their own,” he said.
“I tried to have sire representative teams to see how they go once they’re slaughtered.”
Mr Meikle expects the steers to process at the top end of the weight specifications with a carcase weight of 300-330kg.
He said above average daily weight equated to early maturity and a quick turn-off so the next cohort can be grown out and finished.
“That is what I like about the Lardner Park trial – it is done on grass and they are doing it very well on grass to show what the cattle can really do,” he said.
“It’s that weight gain where the profitability is sitting. These steers are 19 months and when they are getting up around 300kg carcase weight they are doing quite nicely.
“For an animal to fully express their genetic capability of muscle and finishing ability, they need to be on high performance pasture.”
