Growing beef business from the ground up | North Queensland Register

Property growth and a pasture renovation program are enabling the Sullivan household to build-up cattle numbers on their Killara farm, Shallum Holdings.

Dale and Sue Sullivan, and their son Alex, have additionally been changing their well-established Hereford herd to Ballot Herefords utilizing bulls from David Lyons’ Vasey-based Melville Park stud.

About 70 per cent of the household’s 470-head breeding base is now polled for ease of administration and employees and animal well being and welfare.

In addition they run a crossbred self-replacing ewe flock for manufacturing of prime lambs.

The Sullivans wanted to safe extra land round Casterton to have the ability to enhance livestock manufacturing.

In addition they recognised how vital it was to raise the standard and productiveness of the pasture feedbase to have the ability to enhance stocking charges throughout their 1530-hectare holdings.

Utilizing a grass-fed system, with some home-grown hay offered to inventory as a complement during times of annual feed gaps, the household’s cattle enterprise is about up for becoming a member of in September and calving in late February and early March.

Like most properties within the area, their farming land is characterised by sandy loam-type soils and a few clay areas near the Glenelg River flats.

Dale Sullivan mentioned massive tracts of the property had historically been closely wooded with Purple Gums and required ongoing stump elimination and clearing.

“Together with this problem, a whole lot of our pastures have been additionally 30-years-old,” he mentioned.

“We knew we wanted to improve and renovate the land to have the ability to push our livestock enterprises tougher to spice up profitability, and that is an ongoing course of annually.”

The Sullivans now develop fodder crops, comparable to sorghum, that are reduce for hay or silage.

These are retained for 2 years after which changed by sowing everlasting pastures, predominantly comprising ryegrass and subclover.

Mr Sullivan estimates this enchancment technique, coupled with shut consideration to plant vitamin and fertiliser, had boosted their general feedbase productiveness by about 30 per cent and allowed them to raise stocking charges.

“We depend on pasture recommendation from our agronomist and contractor,” he mentioned.

“And we now have carried out some feed on provide (FOO) programs by means of the sheep aspect of our enterprise which can be precious and relevant to each the cattle and sheep enterprises.”

With an improved pasture base and genetic choice on Ballot Herefords with excessive progress, the Sullivans’ primarily market is annual weaner steer and heifer gross sales.

They purpose to turn-off steers at 350 kilograms liveweight and any extra heifers at 300kg.

Most are bought domestically by means of the Casterton saleyards. However in addition they ship steers to Naracoorte and Hamilton to capitalise on the sturdy purchaser presence and competitors at these main promoting centres.

This yr, the Sullivans bought steer calves a bit sooner than standard, because of the distinctive spring and summer time seasonal circumstances they skilled, and the highest strains weighed-in at 400kg or extra.

By the tip of January, all weaners have been bought – aside from about 50-70 head that have been dropped in spring for winter gross sales. This allows earnings unfold throughout the yr to offset some enterprise threat.

Mr Sullivan mentioned the weaner strains that they bought to this point this yr reached “wonderful” costs, averaging $1637/head for steers and about $1400/head for heifers.

“Our high strains fetched $1900 and, general, the costs have been up about $800/head from a yr in the past,” he mentioned.

“They have been at barely greater weights, as a result of the pastures have been so good, they usually have been a number of the finest calves we now have ever produced right here.”

Mr Sullivan mentioned they’d been utilizing Hereford and Ballot Hereford bulls from Melville Park for about 30 years and saleyard consumers recognised the standard of their progeny providing annually.

He mentioned their focus had switched from long-legged bulls, favored by consumers about 10 years in the past, to extra early-maturing sorts that higher suited feedlotters.

“The majority of our weaners go into the feedlot, so we actually breed to match their necessities for progress and excessive meat yields,” he mentioned.

“They want to verify they’re additionally getting an optimum margin from ending our product out of the paddock.”

The Sullivans choose their genetics primarily on Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and visible appraisal for early progress, early maturity, intramuscular fats, eye muscle space, milk manufacturing and ease of calving.

“We wish a superb mixture of carcase and fertility traits to supply an all-round performing steer or heifer,” Mr Sullivan mentioned.

“We do cull any non-performing heifers within the first yr if they do not produce a calf, so our herd naturally is extremely fertile.”

Mr Sullivan mentioned the Moyle household’s stud breeding objectives aligned with that of his household and he was assured they have been monitoring alongside the identical developments of genetic enhancements in key profit-driving traits.

He mentioned they usually purchased within the high 10 per cent of bulls supplied on the Melville Park annual bull sale, together with the top-priced sire of 2020 – Melville Nyooma N493 (PP) – for $12,500.

This bull had a delivery weight of 8.5kg, 200-day progress of +50kg, a 400-day weight of +81kg and a 600-day weight of +127.

Its eye muscle space was +6.1 sq. centimetres; rib fats measurement was +0.8mm, rump fats was +1.0mm; and an intramuscular fats was +1.2mm.

“This bull actually fits our farm’s late maturing manufacturing system,” Mr Sullivan mentioned.

“He’s only a well-balanced animal, with the advantages of an exquisite coat and a docile nature.

“He additionally has good muscle fats and his first progeny – from a line of heifers – are trying promising.”

Mr Sullivan mentioned the Melville Park stud was positioned not removed from them, which added to his confidence that its bulls would carry out below their native circumstances – proper from day one.

“I’ve been working Herefords and Ballot Herefords all of my life and I just like the breed and the way properly it does on our farm,” he mentioned.

Melville Park stud principal David Lyons mentioned he anticipated sturdy demand for high quality polled bulls would proceed in 2021 and this development had confirmed the stud’s determination to cut back on horned animals.

The story Grass-fed focus puts spotlight on pasture improvements first appeared on Stock Journal.

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