A bit of a different approach was taken when entering steers for the Beef Specatular Feedback Trial for Victorian producers David and Tara Brewer, Brewer Beef, Tallangatta Valley.
The family run operation normally enters two breeds within the competition, but this year has added a line of Angus steers, along with a black Simmental team and two SimAngus teams.
David Brewer said the Feedback Trial was quite comprehensive, allowing the stud to make comparisons between its various groups of cattle.
"It gives us a good indication of how our bloodlines are performing." said Mr Brewer, who's operation had been a long-time participant in the trial.
While trying the build bull numbers for their stud programs, the family had taken a bit if a different approach when selecting steers for the trail, typically using steers by lower performing bulls within the operation.
"We find it's better to see where the bottom end of your herd is rather than where your top end is," Mr Brewer said.
"Everybody's top end should perform really well and that's where you make the most of your gain, through the bottom end of your herd, because if you lift your bottom up then you're bringing your whole average up."
After being commercially involved with Simmentals since the the early 1980s, the family then moved into black Simmentals 10 years later, with the addition of the Angus just two years ago after having the opportunity to buy a near complete Angus stud, building their herd to 400 cows.
"We had a lot of our black Simmental clients buying Angus bulls to out on their black Simmental, Angus-cross cattle," Mr Brewer said.
"We saw an opportunity there to retain our clients rather than going elsewhere.
The family now plans to keep a small percentage of black Simmentals, but will switch their focus to SimAngus, using high performance Angus bulls.
