SOUTH east Australia's stud beef cattle breeders are gearing up to provide displays of their herds and sale bulls during the 24th Stock & Land Beef Week from January 27 to February 4.
The 224 studs representing 30 breeds are involved in the nation's biggest on-farm open day beef industry event, which now runs for nine days to accommodate the number of properties wanting to be involved and allow more time for visitors to search for the best herd improving genetics, according to Beef Week director Geoff Phillips. Mr Phillips has been managing the event for the past 23 years of the events 25 year history.
"While the Beef Week formula hasn't changed much over the years, the on-property displays have with stud breeders reacting to visitor demand for bigger herd representations," he said.
About 6000 registered stud bulls will be on display across the studs, with 4000 catalogued for upcoming autumn on-property bull sales and the remainder available for selection during Beef Week.
“We estimate around 3000 Angus and 1700 Hereford and Poll Hereford sale bulls plus 1300 from other breeds will be on display during Beef Week providing both stud and commercial bull buyers the greatest range of genetics ever seen in Australia,” Mr Phillips said.
The RASV Beef Week Heifer Challenge has added to the broader interest displays on properties with pens of 10 two-year-old replacement stud heifers competing for $4500 in prize money.
Visitors have commented on the high standard of the heifers in this competition and those who have entered have used the competition to demonstrate the quality of their breeding females.
The difficult job of visiting the 50 properties with entries in the competition and deciding the winners will lie with Scottish-born Jack Woodbourn, who has a wide experience in the Australian stud and commercial beef cattle industries as a stud breeder, Royal show judge and stock and station agent.
Hereford and Angus studs make up more than half the studs involved, with 72 whiteface studs and 53 Angus studs opening their gates.
Other breeds with strong representations include Limousin with 16 studs, Charolais with 13, Simmental, including Black Simmental and Simangus, 11 studs and Lowline with six herds on display.
Multi-stud displays at the Mount Gambier showgrounds (15 studs with 10 breeds on Day 8) and at Hillview Beef Shorthorns at Streatham, Vic, (seven studs with five breeds on Day 7) allow smaller studs without the facilities and numbers to host an on-property display to be involved in Beef Week.
The success of the week has attracted major SA studs that are trucking displays of cattle to Mortlake, Vic, and Hamilton, Vic.
Details: www.beefweek.com.au
