Mt Ararat Simmentals Beef Week sale at Leongatha
Mount Ararat bull producer John Leek is holding his first Leongatha bull sale during Beef Week and will be bringing this year’s Lang Lang Show ‘Supreme Exhibit’ Mt Ararat Quantum.
Quantum is bred in the purple and weighs an impressive 870kgs at 19 months.
“It’s a great honour to receive the award against quality opposition from all breeds of cattle,” John said.
To be able to win such an award, you have to have well-bred cattle.” Mt Ararat Simmentals have sourced their genetics from the world’s best.
"We started at the top end buying females at 12 months-old for $15,000-$16,000 and we then brought them home and mated them to the best bulls in Australia and it's put me in a good position because we have some of the best bulls in Australia," John said.
"It makes you very popular with people who are after a bull because everybody is after the best quality they can get and we're trying to breed an animal that is superior to all others." Raised on a dairy farm at Yannathan, John developed a passion for crossbreeding animals and took a particular liking to Simmentals at a young age due to their popularity and good temperament.
"I used to crossbreed them with Angus which is very popular for the beef market and that's what I mainly stuck to but other breeders up north are crossing them with Brahmans and that has become hugely successful up there," John said.
"Studs are now taking bulls up Rockhampton way, taking the Simmentals to the doors of the Brahman breeders, and that's because they've genetically been made to perform."
John said Simmentals were renowned for their milking ability and consistent meat composition, making them an “all-round" breed. "The other factor that is very important is temperament - and they're probably the three main ingredients to a Simmental because they're very docile," John said.
"Their fat cover is really great these days because of how they've been bred.
John believes his bulls are as good as any in Australia and is now looking forward to Beef Week in South Gippsland.
“In our 12 years breeding Simmentals at our property in Nar Nar Goon, Mount Ararat has become progressively closer to the urban sprawl, so we’re very excited to settle in South Gippsland,” John said.
“We breed polled and homo-polled cattle of the highest standard.”
“Taking the horns (weapons) off cattle reduces havoc in sale yards and on farm and stops bruising and bullying when amongst other cattle.”
“We have not experienced any decrease in size or weight in our polled or homo-polled cattle.”
“They say polling can take away size – we believe this is a myth – we have bred polled bulls that have grown to well over 1250kgs,” he said.
The stud philosophy is to breed polled cattle, with perfect temperaments which are structurally perfect and fertile with the very best genetics.
Simmentals are especially popular for cross breeding with other breeds. This creates hybrid vigour, increases meat yield and quality when crossed with other breeds.
John said his long-time friend, Nerrena farmer and butcher Simon Greaves understood the Simmental quality.
“The yield of hybrid beef, following cross breeding Simmental over other breeds is exceptional,” Simon said.
See Mt Ararat Simmentals line-up of 20 magnificent bulls and 20 females in calf to Mt Ararat Pioneer and Woonallee Nightcap at 138 Huntingsford Rd Boorool (Leongatha) on Sunday, January 31. Gates open at 8am with light refreshments available.
This week’s overall winner is Sam Willems! Sam’s drawing of the firefighter was a fantastic effort, using glitter pen to brighten the photo up with red, green and blue. Great work Sam! You win a $10 Need2Read voucher as well as a family pass to the Warragul Cinema Centre valued at $52.