Consistency and carcase traits were key for BC Bateman - Gilmandyke Pastoral, Orange, proving themselves in the 2024 Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial.
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The central tablelands mixed farming operation placed sixth in the trials eating quality component, finishing with MSA index of 64.53.
The four of the five steers achieved a marble score of two, therefore qualifying for the Riverine Premium Beef brand.
Gilmandyke Pastoral runs a total of 3000 Angus stud and commercial females, along with Merino and a cropping program over 7284 hectares near Orange.
The operations general manager Wade Peatman said the program retains the heifers, with the main target market for the steers being feedlots.
"At the moment 70 per cent of our steers go into feedlot operations, aiming for 480 kilograms the day they leave the farm at 14 months of age," Mr Peatmen said.
"Over that last 12 months with the couple of good seasons behind us, we've actually taken some of our own steers through to heavy grass fed kill steers.
"It's nice to compare ourselves against the industry and see what other people are doing, whats working for them, try and pick up on areas where we can potentially improve on as well."
Gilmandyke stud manager, Peter McNamara said the steers picked for the trial received no special treatment for the trial, being the best suited to meet the grid on the day, a different strategy from previous where sire lines were identified .
"It's good to identify consistency with in our steers as well," Mr McNamara said.
"Visually they were selected on phenotype on the day we picked them out, then to be able to see their carcase results within a close range of each other, it's nice to be able to see that too.
"It's not very often you get to compare our steers against a crossbred or another breed in the same environment."
"For us it's honest data."
Mr McNamara said the program has made improvements to the carcase qualities, so receiving the data back from the trial gives them confidence they are moving in the right direction.
Mr Peatman said because they are a complete self-replacing herd, all the females traits such as longevity, fertility and structural soundness is important for the operation.
"We know we're ticking the boxes with our females, but the MSA grading is a big one for us." Mr Peatman said.
"In terms of combining that with carcase data and growth rates that also pays as well, it's good to know we've got the combination of the two moving in the right direction.
"Only one of our ten animals didn't make the top Teys product."
"The way that I look at it is our commercial herd is our number one client for the stud herd. So to know that we've got that right and its working and Teys are happy with the product and we're happy with the results we got, just reinforces what Pete's doing in the stud side of things is flowing through well.
