Hereford and Hereford infused cattle are proving their finishing ability off grain in the inaugural 100-day grain fed Inverell Feedlot Trial and Carcase competition.
With $6000 prizemoney on offer, the trial is hosted by Glen Innes and Inverell agency Colin Say & Co Pty Ltd in conjunction with Bindaree Beef, at the Myola Feedlot, Croppa Creek, NSW.
The trial drew 37 teams comprising 185 head of British bred, European and Bos indicus cattle.
Exhibitors were required to enter teams of five head with the competition starting on August 1, a field day held on October 30 and the final weighing day on November 20.
The cattle were processed on November 20 by Bindaree, carcases judged on November 21 and the presentations were made on November 29 with points awarded for average daily weight gain and carcase quality for both individual and team entries.
The trial comprised two classes with entry weights of 375-410kg and 411-450kg liveweight.
All cattle had to be pre-treated with Bovilis MH + IBR, be milk tooth and be HGP-free.
Points were given to the highest individual weight gain and the highest group weight gain.
Entries were yarded at the Inverell saleyards and judged by Bindaree’s grainfed supply chain manager Zac McInerney for their conformation, condition, weight gain, finishing ability and market suitability. The Myola Feedlot purchased all of the cattle.
A pen of black baldies, aged 11 to 12 months and averaging 442kg, from Mark and Wendy Campion, Amos Vale Herefords, Pinkett, were the reserve champion pen on the day.
The steers were sired by an Amos Vale Hereford bull and out of black baldy cows.
There were four Hereford teams entered by Younger Herefords, Inverell, Supple Whiteface, Guyra, Jindalee Herefords, Kings Plains, and Amos Vale Herefords, Pinkett, NSW.
Colin Say & Co director Shad Bailey said the trial was designed to give commercial and seedstock producers feedback to better their operations and create market pull through for the genetics.
“There has been a big push to offload cattle as feeders or selling then as weaners which are then primarily targeted to feedlots. Feedback is crucial for both the seedstock and commercial producer, providing them with vital data and ensuring sire selections are correct and allowing benchmarking against other producers,” Mr Bailey said.
“We are partnering with Bindaree and have had an unbelievable response from producers with entries. Next year we would like to increase the involvement from studs by increasing the classes.
Mr Bailey said the field day involved presentations from Zac McInerney on the rations, performance of the trial cattle and supply feeder steers to specifications.
“We aim to make this an annual event and open it to entries from a wider area. It’s about thinking outside the square – the more information we can give back to the clients, the more profitable they become.”
Hereford steers from Vern, Margaret, Geoff and Gemma Younger, Younger Herefords, Inverell, weighed 454kg at 14 months, had been weaned onto hay and pasture, then backgrounded for a short time on forage oats before entering the trial.
The family finishes steers on forage crops for the Teys Grasslands program but entered the Myola trial to evaluate their cattle’s performance in a feedlot.
The majority of the 500 spring and autumn calving cow herd are AI bred using Fixed Time AI.
The herd had been totally Line One bred for 25 years and the Youngers continue to use the latest Holden and Cooper genetics from the USA, where they are renowned for their maternal traits, weight for age and carcase quality.
“We target the grass-fed market – the steers consistently grade with an MSA Index of 61+ with marble scores of one to three,” Vern said.
“The last load of 56 head averaged 362kg carcase weight with an MSA Index of 62.03 at 23 months of age.”
Steers being finished for the Teys Grasslands program at Younger Herefords and they had an average MSA Index of 62.03. Their brothers were entries in the Myola feedlot trial. Image Margaret Younger
