Balance key to quality bulls
ASCOT Cattle Co will hold its autumn bull and female sale on April 10.
There will be 31 angus bulls, 38 angus heifers, 25 charolais bulls and 26 charolais heifers on offer at this year’s sale.
Ascot Cattle is run by Jim and Jackie Wedge at North Toolburra in Warwick.
Mr Wedge said they bred their cattle with balance.
“At Ascot we strive to breed bulls that have good structure, phenotype, docility, fertility and weight for age combined with good carcass EBVs,” he said.
Mr Wedge said they received 70mm of rain at the weekend on his Warwick property.
“I think it should help a bit for the people who have received reasonable falls,” he said.
“It will give them more confidence to buy some bulls or heifers.
“We had some nice falls. It was very much needed.”
Before the rain, Mr Wedge said the season had been very dry.
“It was the worst it’s been since we’ve been here,” he said.
“But the bulls have still come up prepared as good as normal.
“We do have some irrigation to grow some feed. So they’ve come up really well.”
For the last two sales Ascot Cattle has had all sale bulls and joined females independently assessed for feet, structural soundness and temperament by industry renowned accredited assessor Jim Green.
Mr Green will be assessing the cattle for the upcoming autumn sale.
“Jim has over 20 years’ experience in doing this and he does it for many seed stock producers all over Australia,” Mr Wedge said.
“As can be expected, he knows his stuff.
“Ascot is one of only a couple of Queensland beef studs that carry out this independent assessment.
“We feel this is one more way we can give our buyers more comfort and confidence in the animals we are selling.”
Before the sale, all bulls will be semen-tested and vet-checked, vaccinated with three-germ blood for tick fever, vaccinated with 7 in 1, pesti virus, three-day sickness and vibrio, scanned prior to sale for fat cover, EMA and IMF, fully breed plan recorded, and tested negative to pesti virus.
All females will be preg-tested before sale (except un-joined heifers), vaccinated with three-germ blood for tick fever, vaccinated with 7 in 1, pesti virus and three-day sickness, fully breed plan recorded, all fully registered.
❝ We do have some irrigation to grow some feed. So they’ve come up really well.
— Jim Wedge