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Perfect to feed or breed

FANTASTIC GROWTH: Royal Oak Beef co-owner and feedlot manager Greg Clarke with an impressive line of Herefords, which had a daily weight gain of more than three kilograms.
FANTASTIC GROWTH: Royal Oak Beef co-owner and feedlot manager Greg Clarke with an impressive line of Herefords, which had a daily weight gain of more than three kilograms.

This article is branded content for Herefords Australia.

When cattle breeders think of Herefords, a calm temperament jumps to mind.

But despite the breed's excellent docility, the red and whites bring so much more to the table. Especially the dinner table.

Herefords bring many attributes to every stage of cattle rearing, from fantastic fertility and mothering skills to get calves on the ground to their impressive ability to perform on grass and in the feedlot.

The breed's high yield and livestock longevity bring more benefits.

But excellent eating quality is also another notch in the belt of this historic and high performing breed.

Whether destined for the breeding or fattening paddock, Herefords are turning plenty of heads.

New Super Sires faces

South Australian Hereford bulls are continuing to pack a punch, with two young sires selected to join the Herefords Australia Super Sires catalogue.

Morganvale Ravioli R41 and Days Godfather R077 were selected, with both Morganvale stud, Willalooka, and Days stud, Bordertown, being new breeders to the Super Sires program.

The South Australian bulls were joined by Warwick Court Quick Q030 and Yavenvale Romeo R055, both of which are also new breeders to the program.

ON THE LIST: Morganvale Ravioli R041 is one of eight bulls to join the Super Sires program.
ON THE LIST: Morganvale Ravioli R041 is one of eight bulls to join the Super Sires program.

Wirruna Qantas Q036, Elite Trust Q066, Injemira Kickstart P093 R153 and Tarcombe Lottery R208 rounded out the eight newcomers.

The Super Sires program, which was launched in 2018, aims to identify higher performing genetics within the breed and seeks young sire candidates that show a balance of favourable traits at the highest level.

Herefords Australia technical committee chairman, as well as a breeder of one of the new Super Sires, Lachy Day, was thrilled to see bulls from new herds.

"It's good to see that bulls from a number of different herds are qualifying for the program," he said.

"The fact that there are more herds involved should indicate that there is a more diverse range of genetics hitting the mark."

Allan Morgan, Morganvale stud, said having his bull inducted into the Super Sires just showed what can happen with a dedicated breeding program.

"He shows tremendous growth, very high calving ease, high milk and mothering traits, and an eye muscle in the top one per cent," he said.

"He has an intramuscular fat score of +2, and he also has the phenotype we want, with the traditional markings."

Powering on feed

Herefords cattle are ticking all the boxes on feed, with lines at Princess Royal Feedlot hitting both domestic and exports specifications.

The Burra feedlot, whose herd is more than 40 per cent Herefords and black baldies, is impressed with the breeds' ability to perform in the feedlot.

Managing director Simon Rowe says whiteface cattle have consistently met specifications for average daily weight gain, net feed efficiency, carcase weight, fat cover and marbling.

JOINING UP: New Super Sires bull Days Godfather R077, bred by Days Whiteface, Bordertown.
JOINING UP: New Super Sires bull Days Godfather R077, bred by Days Whiteface, Bordertown.

"We like entry weights of 400 kilograms, as the European Union market requires steers 240-420kg carcase weight, but our customer demands 300-360kg dressed," he said. "Our 100-day customer wants the same article - it's rare for us to have lines of cattle over 360kg carcase weight. Most supermarkets like the carcase at around 265-280kg.

"We like the Herefords, particularly from the southern country, and their docility. We have had cattle from a Hereford herd in the NT and they are fantastic cattle in the feedlot."

It's the same story in NSW, where a line of Poll Herefords gained a whopping three kilograms a day on feed.

A line of Willinga Park Herefords at the Royal Oak Beef Feedlot achieved a feed conversion ratio of five-to-one to beat all benchmarks set since the West Wyalong, NSW, facility began operations three years ago.

The high-performing cattle came from a 2100-head line sourced from multiple vendors by Willinga Park, which were grown out at its 2000-hectare backgrounding property Hillcrest, Murrumbateman, NSW.

Royal Oak Beef has fed two lines of the milk-tooth steers, including 350 head which completed a 60-day feed program and were processed at Teys in Tamworth, NSW, for Woolworths.

These cattle had an average induction weight of 382kg, which was converted to 590kg live weight and 310kg dressed weight, achieving an impressive daily weight gain of 3.22kg per day.

This article is branded content for Herefords Australia.