Entering the Beef Spectacular Feedback Trials has enabled James Millner, “Rosedale”, Blayney, to gather substantial information on the feedlot performance of his steers.
“We have been going in quite a lot of trials, with the intention of evaluating our stock against other breeds and producers,” Mr Millner said.
“We are getting feedback for a ‘level-playing field’, which makes the analysis of the information provided significant because all cattle have been assessed under the same conditions.”
Mr Millner manages the 1214 hectare property on the Central Tablelands, in partnership with his wife Sarah, and parents, Michael and Jenny.
Trading as Rosedale Livestock Partnership, they annually join 400 Angus and black baldy females to Charolais terminal sires from their own Rosedale Charolais stud.
The steer progeny are grown out for feedlots, and/or the local supermarket trade on improved pasture and supplementary fed during dry periods..
“The Charolais cross over British breed cows works well for us, we are very much into practising what we preach,” Mr Millner said.
“Entering this trial helps us identify characteristics and traits to improve going forward, it also helps us keep in touch with commercial reality which i think is sometimes overlooked in regards to breeding stud cattle”
Mr Millner selected the two teams out of the 30 steers which fitted the weight range at the time of trial entry.
“We had had a disappointing Autumn and a long winter, there were a lot of steers that were too light for suitable entry weights at the time the steers went in, he said.”
One team entered by the Rosedale Livestock Partnership, won the Feedlot Performance section of the trial, before going on to be placed sixth overall.
The winning pen of steers was also assessed as being the most profitable, with a team profit of $1326.92 above the average of all trial teams.
“We were blown away by the results, the average weight gain of our winning pen was over half a kilogram a day better than the feedlot trial average,” Mr Millner said.
“The performance of our steers was pleasing, and it was interesting to see the pure Charolais steers compared well with their F1 peers.”
Mr Millner noted the consistency among his steers, with an even grouping in terms of weight gain in the feedlot and carcase scores over the hooks.”
“The feedback is valuable, and is giving us confidence we are doing the right thing with our breeding programs,” he said.
After evaluating the feedback from the trial, Mr Millner is thrilled with the weight gain of his steers, but he said there is always room for improvement on the carcase side of things.
“We have established our growth rates are as good as anyone’s, but we could look at certain intricacies within the carcase results.”