A cross breeding program using Hereford and Angus to lift on-farm productivity has produced the champion feedlot team in the 2024 Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial.
Bill Garnock, Boco Pastoral Company, runs 1400 winter-calving cows at Nimmitabel, in the NSW Snowy Mountains, with his son Charlie and daughter-in- law Manon, using the natural heterosis of the black baldy to drive fertility, growth, weight gain and carcase traits.
Mr Garnock entered two teams of 12-month-old black baldy steers in the Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial to validate his breeding objectives of progeny with consistent feedlot performance.
The trial at the Teys Australia Jindalee feedlot, Stockinbingal, NSW, is the eighth time Mr Garnock has entered the competition.
He uses the feedback from the feedlot and carcase components to finetune his breeding program to achieve optimum feedlot average daily gains and feed efficiency, and eating quality in the chiller.
Boco Pastoral’s top team of five black baldy steers scored 315 points to place first in the feedlot phase and third overall from 91 teams with a total score of 790 points and team profit of $776 above the average.
HGP-free and Bovilis MH + IBR vaccinated steers were entered from the eastern states, as far south as Gippsland and as far north as Condamine, Queensland, with 16 breeds represented.
The Boco Pastoral team scored a maximum of 100 points in the feedlot entry which was judged on induction weight, rump fat, frame score, dentition, NVD completion accuracy, pre-feedlot vaccination with Bovilis MH + IBR.
In the feedlot, the team had average daily gain ranging from 2.2 to 2.76kg, ranking them first out of 91 teams. The average daily gain for the trial was 1.95kg.
In the carcase assessment, the team’s top dressing percentage was 53.3, eye muscle area of 87sqcm, AUS-MEAT marble scores of 1, 2 and 3, and MSA indexes of 60.89 to 65.14 to give an overall team profit of $776.57 compared to the average of all trial teams (average adjusted to zero). The average MSA Index for the trial was 62.2 and average AUS-MEAT marble score of 1.5.
Set in a 600mm rainfall zone, the 6477ha freehold and leasehold aggregation runs 26,000 DSE on basalt soils with the equivalent of three full-time labour units.
The cattle herd is run under challenging conditions and calve in July/August when winter temperatures can be down to -12 degrees Celsius.
Mr Garnock transitioned from a mixed sheep and cattle enterprise to a black baldy breeding herd, using Hereford and Angus genetics from reputable breeders.
Bulls and females were sourced from Kaludah, Ravensdale, Wirruna, South Bukalong and Alegria Hereford studs, along with Westholm, in New Zealand.
“There is no doubt the Herefords are better forages on the cold, hard native pastures here,” he said.
Hereford bulls are joined to ex-stud Angus cows and ex-stud Hereford cows are joined to Angus bulls to produce a moderate framed animal with length, weight for age, doing ability and above average carcase quality.
Mr Garnock said the hybrid vigour of the black baldy resulted in an advantage of a 10 per cent increase in weight gain at weaning.
“The doing ability of the Herefords contributes the weight gain in the black baldy.”
In the early years of the feedback trial, he entered an Angus, Hereford and two black baldy teams to gain a comparison but now concentrates solely on the performance of the black baldy.
Bill has used the feedback to finetune his breeding program, boosting his teams to the top in feedlot performance and increase carcase grading scores.
“The idea was to keep the doability and feedlot performance in the top percentile while combining above average carcase traits to lift meat quality.
He selects bulls on a balance of carcase and growth traits, combined with moderate birthweight aiming to produce a moderate mature weight, feed efficient and fertile female.
The breeders are joined for two cycles and run on hilly country to be fit for calving in forward store condition, while any empties are sold. The cattle graze the hill pastures of phalaris, cocksfoot, subclovers, lucerne and hybrid clover while lucerne is grown on the river flats. Hill country is spelled during the autumn for the cows to calve down on over winter.
“Every female on the place has to have a calf every year from two years of age, or they are not here. We put a fair bit of pressure on fertility and retain 50 per cent of the heifers as replacements.
“Heterosis has increased weaning weights from 200-300 to 250-350kg at seven to nine months.”
The calves are yard weaned for five days, educated to handling and then turned onto lucerne pastures.
Steers and cull heifers are sold as weaners at the annual Cooma weaner sales or at Wodonga, Wagga Wagga or Carcoar store and prime sales.
This year, the family will offer a draft of 700-800 head at Cooma on March 20, April 3 and April 17.
Traditionally, the Boco cattle are sold to backgrounders in the eastern Riverina of NSW for finishing on grazing cereals to feedlot weights.
Boco Pastoral are streamlining their breeding females to be 100 per cent black baldy.
Bill Garnock uses feedback from the Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial to reinforce the direction of his breeding decisions and goals. All images Boco Pastoral
Black baldy 18-20 month old heifers on Boco Pastoral showing weight for age.
