Across the ditch

Strengthening ties between Aussie and Kiwi breeders

Relations between Australian and New Zealand breeders were strengthened with a visit to the Land of the Long White Cloud by SPI chief executive officer Hannah Bourke in June.

Hannah said a momentary easing in COVID restrictions had enabled the visit for a face-to-face catch-up with the team at Performance Beef Breeders (PBB).

“By this stage we had been with PBB for seven months and all communication had been via phone, email and zoom, and I am a true believer that nothing is as efficient or effective as a face to face,” she said. Hannah spent two days at Palmerston North, the home base of the PBB team, providing her with a much greater understanding of the dynamics and ability to refine internal processes.

“This will make it more efficient for both SPI and PBB, and by extension for our members,” she said.

Hannah attended the Maugahina Speckle Park sale at Masterton and was taken by New Zealand board member Sarah Forsyth and her husband Martyn to a butcher selling dry aged Speckle Park infused beef.

The butcher shop also features a giant mural of a Speckle Park bull on a wall. “The Maugahina sale presented the opportunity to meet a number of New Zealand Speckle Park members, and so it turned out, a few Aussie faces too. We hope to arrange some forums for Speckle Park breeders in New Zealand in the coming year,” Hannah said. Hanna Bourke with a Speckle Park mural in a NZ butcher shop.

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Speckles Parks hit the specs when it comes to grain finishing

By Kim Woods

Demand has outstripped supply when it comes to grain fed Speckle Park cross cattle for value added beef brands and from processors.

Northeast Victorian stock agent Sam Nelson and his son Jack have been grain finishing F1 Speckle Park steers and heifers on a 100-day barleybased ration for two years, and cannot keep up with the demand.

Sam is principal of Mulcahy Nelson Livestock, Shepparton, and was impressed by the Speckle Park calves coming through the Shepparton saleyards 13 years ago.

He bought a line of Angus/Friesian cows with Speckle Park cross calves with the aim to grain finish the calves for the domestic market.

“We weaned these calves and put them in the feeder with our other cattle and they performed exceptionally well,” Sam said.

Jack was so impressed with the feedlot performance he went on to establish a seedstock herd, Jackungah, on the family property at Pine Lodge.

Sam runs the commercial herd of 150 Angus breeders joined to Speckle Park bulls with the steers and heifers targeted at a 100-day grainfed program. The cows are rotated around grazing cereals, ryegrass, oat and shaftal clover pastures and joined to JAD, Minnamurra and Jackungah bulls.

Sam likes to select bulls on muscle and maturity pattern, and structural soundness.

The calves are yard weaned at five to six months of age or 220-260kg onto silage and then backgrounded on pasture at another holding at Euroa until 300-340kg.

Jack leases a 800-head capacity feedlot and custom feeds the calves for 90-100 days to supply Greenham’s branded program, Wanderer Barley Fed Beef.

Specifications for the brand include free range, certified humane, marble score 2-3 and 4+ and natural state hanging method for the carcase (hip hung).

The cattle are fed a ration of 64 per cent barley, canola, oaten straw, Molafoss, lime, and cotton seed at 15-16kg per day per head. All grain is sourced in the Goulburn valley, with half the barley locked in on a forward contract and the rest bought on the open market.

Pre-feedlot entry, the cattle are vaccinated with Bovilis IBR + MH against Bovine Respiratory Disease, treated for liver fluke, drenched, injected with vitamin B12 and placed on a starter ration for up to a month.

“We are paid a base rate for marbling and a bonus for a higher marbling score – our best line on feed for 90 days averaged marble score 2.2,” Sam said.

“The crossbred steers finish 10-15 days quicker than the other cattle – the conversion rate is what attracted us to the breed.”

In February, JSN Livestock turned off a run of 61 100-day grain fed Speckle Park steers and heifers at Shepparton saleyards to a top of 471c/kg. The steers averaged 444kg and made 471c/kg while 33 head averaged 464kg and 458c/kg. There has been high demand for Speckle Park cross steers and cull heifers for grain fed programs.

“On their curfew weight, those cattle dressed at 352kg, yielded 61 per cent with an average MSA Index of 63.54 at Hardwicks,” Sam said.

He describes the Speckle Park over a British bred female as “magical”.

“We do retain some F1 females to sell as unjoined heifers up to $2550.

“Supply and seasonal conditions are having the largest impact on prices – it’s rare to see all the eastern seaboard so good and that is putting incredible pressure on the cattle market.

“Large cattle areas were decimated through the drought – that’s what is controlling the cattle prices.

“I believe the beef market is at its top end and there is not a lot more room in it.

“What we have learnt feeding cattle and as my time as an agent, the premium prices from direct sales or branded products from farmer to abattoir will become more and more attractive.

“The processors are finding it a lot easier to sell a branded product involving traceability.”

Sam conceded they are struggling to source enough Speckle Park cross cattle to feed in a red-hot store market although they were initially paying a premium.

“We want to buy weaner steers but they are making more than we can pay for them to put them on feed,” he said.

“Our numbers are down considerably – we have a client who would normally custom feed 1500 Angus and Speckle Park/ Angus cattle but virtually has none and we normally feed 500600 at a time but are down to 200 head.

“We will ramp up after Christmas again but at the moment the margin is not there.”

Jack Nelson said commercial demand was back by positive carcase data and feedback.

“Ultimately the commercial market is what leads the stud enterprises and to offer bulls and females to build herd numbers throughout Australia is what we are about,” Jack said.

“They are not a massive animal but are yielding well and finishing quickly in our feedlots- the more efficient an animal finishes the more profit there is.

“That’s why they are growing so quickly and it is a great wave to be on. “When you have Speckle/Friesian calves making $400-$500 it is good to see and that will really drive the breed forward.”

Sam Nelson admits seeing the breed grow from his vantage on the auctioneer’s catwalk has been “exciting”.

“We are seeing the breed being used widely in this area over dairy cows as a back-up bull for calving ease and eye appeal.

“They are liking the consistent and uniform product – I am seeing those dairy beef calves come through the market week after week and bringing better prices over the other crossbred calves.”

The father and son are expanding their feedlot operation in 2022 and will be sourcing Speckle Park steers and heifers for grain finishing. JSN Livestock sold 100 day grainfed Speckle Park steers and heifers at Shepparton to top of 471c/kg in February.