Superior weight gain and carcase compliance in Hereford cattle are giving one Queensland based pastoral company market flexibility in grass finishing, lot feeding and custom feeding for supermarket and specialty beef brands.
Willinga Pastoral Co comprises a portfolio of 11 western downs properties totalling 70,420 ha in the Wandoan, Taroom, Condamine and Kandanga regions and carrying more than 15,000 cattle in breeder, backgrounding and fattening operations employing 28 full-time staff.
The aggregation has a breeding herd of 7000-8000 females, of which half are straightbred Herefords and the balance are Santa Gertrudis joined to Hereford bulls. The goal is to build to 10,000 breeders.
The 70,258 acre hub property, Juandah Plains at Wandoan, runs 2000-2500 Hereford breeders joined to Hereford and Santa Gertrudis bulls. Steers and first cross heifers are fattened at the backgrounding properties of Karalee Plains and Marama.
When it comes to the strengths of the Hereford breed in the northern climate, General Manager Andrew Turvey rates fertility highly, along with finishing ability off grass, carcase quality and Meat Standards Australia (MSA) compliance.
“Herefords perform well in our country with weight gain and when we are taking them all the way through, MSA grading is important,” he said.
“An early maturing, highly productive, highly fertile herd and having the turnover of animals finishing a lot younger at 14 months of age at 600kg helps us towards that end goal.”
Mr Turvey ranks fertility as a key profit driver and is impressed with the early maturing females in the Juandah Plains herd.
“We had a tough year with not much rain April to December only receiving 40 per cent of our annual rainfall and yet we still achieved 83 per cent pregnancy tested in calf heifers weighing 280kg in the first two cycles and grazed on dry buffel grass supplemented with cotton seed.”
Bulls are joined at 2.5 per cent while the heifers are joined at 14 months of age over 10 weeks to calve at two years. After pregnancy testing, any empty females are pasture finished for the supermarket trade. Elite heifers will be identified for a planned artificial insemination program this year to breed herd bulls for joining to commercial Santa Gertrudis cows.
Bull longevity is important in lowering the cost per calf, and the bulls must be structurally sound to walk long distances and withstand the climatic conditions.
“I’m looking for an early maturing animal with the fertility traits, especially days to calving, milk and early growth, along with IMF (intramuscular fat), eye pigment, hooded eyes and a slick coat,” Mr Turvey said.
Mr Turvey uses the livestock analysis and insight software, Black Box Co, to evaluate herd efficiencies in fertility and performance help with selection of genetics.
“We are collecting data from conception to carcase. Fertility, growth, feedlot performance and chiller data to assist us with identifying superior sire lines. Earlier maturing females and bull longevity are a major driver in our business.
“Black Box Co are evaluating our feedlot and carcase data to give us both the average daily gains of the cattle in the feedlot plus the shrinkage and yield comparison.”
The in-paddock weighing system, Optiweigh, is used on all the properties to collect average daily gain data in real time.
“This is an important part of our backgrounding operation so we can keep an eye on how they are progressing. We also use it for our heifers when reaching critical mating weight.”
Willinga Pastoral Co has undergone a rapid expansion of cattle numbers and capital infrastructure in the last two years on all properties, including fencing, water and pastures.
Rainfall averages 650mm at Wandoan and the country comprises Brigalow softwood scrub to box and open forest with pastures of Gatton panic, Bambatsi, Rhodes, Premier Digit, Bisset Creeping Blue and Buffel grass along with medics, stylos, wynn cassia and progardes desmantus.
“We are still building the herd as we improve the country,” Mr Turvey said.
“This summer we have sown Rhodes grass, Gatton panic, premier digit, bambatsi and virgatus across 6073ha with good rain across all properties resulting in good establishment. We also have some cropping country growing winter fodder for finishing cattle.
“The improved pastures, new fencing and increase in water infrastructure has enabled us to double our carrying capacity.”
Willinga Pastoral Co custom feeds Hereford steers and surplus heifers from feedlot entry of 360-420kg liveweight for 70-80 days on feed to deliver 300-330kg carcase weight through Wallumba feedlot, Condamine. Yearling steers are taken to 480-500kg liveweight for export feeder entry weights or finished on pasture to 650kg liveweight for a grass-fed product for major supermarkets.
Willinga Pastoral Co General Manager Andrew Turvey said the average daily gains in the custom fed operation over 70 to 80 days were consistently over 2kg for hormone growth promotant free Hereford steers and heifers.
Spring drop calves are yard weaned in mobs of 500 for a week in May/June, and then move to the company’s backgrounding properties for finishing on improved pastures and fodder crops.
Most recently, widespread rain and abundant feed has resulted in Willinga purchasing lines of Hereford steers weighing 280-300kg liveweight from the January 2024 southern weaner sales.
“Those 550 steers are being finished on our fattening property, Naturi Aggregation, located on the Condamine River for grass or grain fed options. We like the Herefords as they offer consistency and can fit into any market,” Mr Turvey said.
“We are really happy with the quality of the steers and were well ahead even with the transport costs.”
Willinga Pastoral Co also has a goal to produce a Certified Carbon Neutral product which aims to reduce the carbon footprint through best practice farming.
Mr Turvey said the pastoral company was lowering its carbon footprint through significant capital investment into its assets.
“Environmentally responsible grazing management with a focus on herd efficiency, maximising growth rates to deliver an efficient high-quality eating product are our passion.
“We are investing in emission reduction strategies including renewable energy across all our properties.”
Solar panels and roof arrays are connected to inverters and 24 batteries, taking the hub property Juandah Plains off grid, and powering all bores, tanks and troughs. Around 700km of new fencing has been erected to optimise grazing and pasture growth.
Willinga is developing a range of carbon projects that will be a demonstration of what is possible in central Queensland conditions.
The combination of a highly efficient cattle herd, clarity and alignment with target markets, grazing management, pasture improvement and a focus on the bottom line are combining to deliver a sustainable business for WIllinga Pastoral Co.
The aggregation has a breeding herd of 7000-8000 females, of which half are straightbred Herefords and the balance are Santa Gertrudis joined to Hereford Bulls
