Chris Schinckel is winding back production at his operations at Stewart Range, near Naracoorte, as he looks to build his trucking business and getting away for a bit of 4WD action, but he is not wanting to drop the quality of his Angus stock.
A booming season last year at his 1000-hectare property Kyna delivered the goods for what is a predominantly cattle operation with about 200 head of Angus cows and some additional mobs of trader cattle brought in from drought-affected NSW.
“We’ve had a fantastic season,” Mr Schinckel said. “When everyone else seems to have had a bad year, we’ve had a really good year. One of the best really.
“It’s really good grazing country here. Good fattening country and the stock seem to do really well here.
“We had a really good rain in October. September was really dry and it was right on the edge when we got that rain. Then we got another good rain in December.”
Despite scaling back his holding in recent years, dropping a 1200ha lease he had on a neighbouring property and leasing out about 300ha of his own land, the good season has kept Mr Schinckel ahead of the curve.
“I run the steers through to Meat Standards Australia weights, so aiming always to get them over 300 kilograms dressed,” he said.
“The 300kg-plus dressedweight in at Teys is where they go, in-line with MSA. We’re part of Teys Grasslands, which is their grassfed, antibiotic-free, no grain market.
“They’re all gone before they are two years (old). I think they’ve all averaged 330kg dressed this year and that’s all 2017-drop calves.”
Mr Schinckel says he generally does not hold onto any heifers but did sell a few mated heifers at the recent Naracoorte feature female sale, averaging $1600 a head.
With mob sizes ranging from 25 to close to 60 cows, Mr Schinckel will put two bulls per mob in with the cows from early May for eight weeks – seven weeks for the heifers – and has enviable conception rates.
They’re all gone before they are two years (old). I think they’ve all averaged 330kg dressed this year and that’s all 2017-drop calves.
- CHRIS SCHINCKEL
“My brother’s a vet so he does all the pregnancy testing and my animal health business and we have a pretty good conception rate,” he said.
“Last year we gave them all a multi-min before mating and from the first calvers there was only one that didn’t get in calf this year.”
A 20ha pivot and 28ha of flood irrigation “drought-proofs” Kyna. “It just means I’ve always got hay and I can sell prime stock instead of store stock,” he said.
Despite them being an essential part of his operation, Mr Schinckel is not a big fan of bulls.
“I don’t really like bulls but you’ve got to have them if you want calves,” he said.
But, because they are needed, Mr Schinckel has been returning to buy from Stuart and Natalie Hann, Nampara Pastoral Company, Penola, for almost 20 years.
“I’ve always been pretty happy with the Nampara bulls,” he said.
“We’ve entered 25 steers in the carcase competition here at Teys and two years ago we got second for a single steer in the 240 kilogram to 320kg weight range and in the pen of 10 we got third.
“Then last year we got fifth in the pen of 10 and fifth in the pen of three.
“That’s out of 25 steers, while there’s blokes there with 60 to 80 steers.
“I think that that says Stuart’s on the right track with his bulls.”
Mr Schinckel said temperament is a critical factor, and he trusted the Hanns to offer calm bulls.
“I look for long bodies and I look at their figures as well,” he said.
“A mid-range birth weight and high 600 days as that’s what I’m aiming at.
“Positive fat, good eye muscle area, good intramuscular fat and calving ease, which is pretty important.”
Bryan Littlely
Started with Fairfax (Rural Press) as a compositor in 1992 at the Victor Harbor Times and progressed to journalism as a cadet and then on to editor at The Barossa & Light Herald. After 8 years with Rural Press, joined News Corp as a journalist at The Advertiser. I held various senior positions at The Advertiser including Regional Editor, Motoring Editor, Chief Of Staff and Investigations Editor. My time with News Corp also included an 18 month secondment to the Northern Territory as Editor at the Centralian Advocate, Alice Springs. After a year working as assistant director of media with the Fair Work Ombudsman and a year at the helm of a public relations firm, I have returned to my farming background and home community on the Fleurieu Peninsula. I am co-founder of missing persons foundation, Leave A Light On Inc, and am also on the board of Indigenous foundation Around The Campfire. Local sport and community activities, horse racing and learning what I can about farming are my key interests outside of journalism.
Started with Fairfax (Rural Press) as a compositor in 1992 at the Victor Harbor Times and progressed to journalism as a cadet and then on to editor at The Barossa & Light Herald. After 8 years with Rural Press, joined News Corp as a journalist at The Advertiser. I held various senior positions at The Advertiser including Regional Editor, Motoring Editor, Chief Of Staff and Investigations Editor. My time with News Corp also included an 18 month secondment to the Northern Territory as Editor at the Centralian Advocate, Alice Springs. After a year working as assistant director of media with the Fair Work Ombudsman and a year at the helm of a public relations firm, I have returned to my farming background and home community on the Fleurieu Peninsula. I am co-founder of missing persons foundation, Leave A Light On Inc, and am also on the board of Indigenous foundation Around The Campfire. Local sport and community activities, horse racing and learning what I can about farming are my key interests outside of journalism.
