FOR Mitch and Susie Crawford from Baringa Pastoral Company, Walcha, the Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial is a great way to discover more information about their cattle.
In their third year entering the trial, the Crawfords were awarded the Teys Certified Premium Black Angus champion pen and placed fourth overall for one team of cattle and 10th in the MSA eating quality medals for another team.
Mr Crawford said they chose to enter four teams this year, including one of different bloodlines and another of out of their first calvers.
"We wanted to see how our young females were breeding," he said.
One team from Baringa earned 749 points out of 1000, which got them the Black Angus champion pen award and ranked them fourth overall.
One steer had a marble score one, three a marble score two, while the fifth had a marble score four. The average MSA Index for the team was 63.62.
Another team entered earned 679 points and with an MSA Index of 64.106 was awarded 10th in eating quality and finished 27th overall.
Four of the steers in the team had marble score two, while the fifth had a marble score of four.
All five steers in the team were met the specifications for the Riverina Premium Beef brand.
Mr Crawford said they first entered the trial to gather more data and see how their cattle performed in the feedlot compared to other Angus cattle and other breeds.
"We breed our own bulls and we use the data to look at where we can target improvement and confirm what we're selecting for is coming through the results with the steers of the trial," he said.
He said they had been consistent performers in the eating quality and marbling in previous years and this year's trial highlighted that again.
"We're very happy with the marbling of our steers at a young age," he said.
"They go into the feedlot at 12-13 months of age and after 112 days on feed more and more of them are hitting the feedlot target for marble - hitting that two plus marble score.
"I think it's our genetics and our production system that sets the steers up to marble at an early age and perform in the feedlot."
The Crawfords run a purebred Angus herd using their own bulls of Glenavon genetics and they calve more than 700 stud and commercial cows a year.
"We target a self-replacing Angus herd with emphasis on growth, marbling and structure," Mr Crawford said.
He said they would also continue to enter the trial.
"We find we're looking to see how our cattle will perform over time and the more we enter it we feel the more accurate the data will be and we can get a better grip on how our cattle are performing," Mr Crawford said.
"We're going to keep putting selection pressure on our herd to improve it as fast as we can."
Their other two teams finished 21st and 36th.
Alexandra Bernard
Journalist based in Wagga Wagga covering all things agriculture in southern NSW.
Journalist based in Wagga Wagga covering all things agriculture in southern NSW.
