Hereford cattle excel in eating quality

Hereford cattle are achieving high Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading off grass and grain, consistently grading in the top 25 per cent when benchmarked against the MSA data nationally, according to Herefords Australia CEO Michael Crowley.

The breed group has collected 35,000 MSA carcase records from central Queensland to Tasmania, predominantly from grass-fed cattle.

"The MSA index is used as the key number as it combines all factors in control of the producer to give the eating quality potential of each carcase graded," Mr Crowley said.

"The key drivers of the index for Hereford cattle are weight for age (measured using ossification) and marbling.

"This weight for age ratio is driving very positive MSA index outcomes as cattle at heavier weights and low ossification scores are very tender, and tenderness is a major factor in delivering superior eating quality to consumers."

Mr Crowley said Hereford cattle consistently finished at heavy weights, at young maturity and with consistent levels of MSA marbling.

Marbling, measured through the genetic trend of IMF, is an area the breed would benefit from working on.

"The breed will continue to focus on marbling as well as yield as high yielding, high quality cattle are worth more money," he said.

"With Herefords finishing at younger ages, often animals have not had time to lay down marbling, however small increases in marbling have a big impact on quality so this will be part of the focus without sacrificing yield.

"It is all about balance across production and carcase traits in a profitable beef business."

Consistency is key for the success of the Spencer family's lotfeeding production, with the focus on one bloodline leading to exceptional eating quality and in turn, a premium market.

The 1000-head feedlot, established in 2021 by Isabella, Hugh and Ben Spencer, is run in conjunction with Ironbark Herefords, owned and managed by the Spencer family at Barraba.

While it began with trade cattle, the feedlot now only sources cattle with Ironbark bloodlines, giving four of their long-term bull clients a ready made, premium market. There's very little variation in Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading, which led to the Spencers being in the top 100 MSA producers in NSW last year.

"Overall, our MSA index has stayed consistently high because they kill as a very even line of cattle," Isabella said.

"We've sold commercial cattle through the MSA system before this, but it was more grass-fed, and not so analytical.

"Now we're seeing their performance on grain in the best possible scenario, being fed a nutritionally-balanced ration, and it reinforces what we've been working on."

Steers and heifers enter the feedlot at 340 to 400 kilograms and are fed for 100 days for an average carcase weight of 300kg to 310kg.

Most cattle are gaining about 2kg per day, but some steers have achieved 2.4kg. They've had good fat cover, with all Ironbark-blood animals staying in the nine to 13 millimetre range for P8 (rump) fat.

Animals sold into the carbon neutral brand have full traceability so that the supermarket can calculate the carbon footprint from conception to shelf.

The brand was previously Angus-focused, but is now concentrated on eating quality.

"They worked out there were a few key producers that had a really quality product that wasn't black so they've realised that one breed wasn't necessarily what they needed for that branded product," Miss Spencer said.

"Every agent would have tried to convince our suppliers to go black in the past so it's nice to be able to reward them with a premium that's more than what they'd get for black cattle."

Herefords Australia CEO Michael Crowley said brands were not only accepting, but targeting Hereford cattle due to the breed's quality and consistency.

"When we look at the growing focus on sustainability, Hereford cattle deliver on the key indicators - fertility, longevity, weight for age and efficiency as well as delivering superior eating quality products," he said.