Garfield producer wins steer trial
Twenty four beef producers were represented in the 48th Lardner Park steer trial in 2023, with 68 steers being assessed for their live weight gain and carcass performance.
It was an Angus steer that took out the top award for combined weight gain and carcass score, entered by Malcolm Reedy of Eagle Rock Angus at Garfield, who also won the highest weight gain pair category.
Hereford steers entered by Tim Hayes of Tarcombe Herefords at Caveat won the highest carcass score as a pair class, while a pair of Angus steers entered by John Archibald of Wonyip Park at Murrindindi won the highest eating quality as a pair.
Average carcass weight for the steers entered in the 2023 competition was 269.8kg, compared to 229.2 in the 2022 competition.
The average weight gain performance was 1.24 kilograms live weight per day. Individual steer live weight gains averaged over the trial period ranged from 650 grams per day to 1.67 kilograms live weight per day.
The top averaged weight gain for a pair of steers was 1.56 kg live weight per day, a pair of Angus steers from Eagle Rock Angus at Garfield.
With cattle managed under independently controlled grazing conditions, the trial provides valuable information on the growth and carcass quality of the steers entered.
It enables everyone involved in the trial to gain an improved understanding of live steer assessment, market requirements and the impact of feed quality on the growth and fattening ability of the stock.
To minimise the risk of steers finishing either below or above the target carcass weight, a recommended entry weight of 280kg to 385kg live weight was set.
Cattle were inducted onto the property on June 27 last year and after a settling in period, the steer trial began on July 4.
The herd was run in one mob on predominately ryegrass based pastures with supplements fed if deemed as necessary depending on pasture growth. Cattle were weighed five times throughout the trial period before their final weighing on November 28.
They were held at pasture on the property for an additional week to allow them to settle post weighing and viewing, reducing any stress impacts on the carcass. They were turned off and sent to the abattoir on December 4.
Cattle had to meet the following specifications for the standard domestic trade when they were turned off:
Hot standard carcass weight - 220kg to 330kg; fat range (P8) - 8mm to 14mm
Carcasses were graded at JBS Australia Pty
Ltd’s Brooklyn processing plant on behalf of Coles. The national Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading system was used to assess carcasses in the competition. The MSA measurements were then converted to carcass points using an Australian Beef Carcass Appraisal System (ABCAS).
Penalty points were imposed if cattle fell outside specifications for carcass weight. Each carcass falling outside the weight range of 220kg to 330kg was applied with two penalty points per kilogram over 330kg carcass weight or two points per kilogram under 220kg carcass weight.
Results:
Combined weight gain and carcass - Malcolm Reedy of Eagle Rock Angus, Garfield with an Angus steer and a score of 223.23
Second place was Alistair Black of Riverline, Myrtlebank with a Hereford and a score of 217.23; and, third was, Chase Jones of Jones Farm, Moorooduc, with a Simmental Angus cross steer and a score of 216.66.
Highest weight gain pair - Malcolm Reedy of Eagle Rock Angus, Garfield with an average daily weight gain for the pair of Angus steers of 1.56 kilograms per day.
Highest carcass score as a pair - Tim Hayes of Tarcombe Herefords, Caveat with Hereford steers, scoring an average 88.72 for the pair.
Highest eating quality - John Archibald of Wonyip Park, Murrindindi with Angus steers and an average MSA index of 63.35 for the pair.
Our overall winner this week is Macy Lappin for her picture of two kids playing in autumn leaves. I thought Macy did a great job colouring her picture, the pencils blended together really well and I especially liked the little rainbow she added in the corner of the picture. Very well done Macy, keep up the great work! For your amazing picture you will receive a $10 Need2Read voucher and a family pass to the Warragul Cinema Centre valued at $52.