Angus breed strong in steer trial results
Eighty six steers competed in the 46th Lardner Park steer trial, the only grass based steer trial in Australia.
It was a Shorthorn cross AngusxShorthorn steer that took out the top award for combined weight gain and carcass score.
A Simmental Angus won the weight gain pair category and Angus steers won both the highest carcass score as a pair and highest eating quality as a pair classes.
Average carcass weight for the steers entered in the 2021 competition was 257.6kg, compared to 275.9 when the competition was last held in 2019.
The average weight gain performance was 1.17 kilograms liveweight per day. Individual steer liveweight gains averaged over the trial period ranged from 730 grams per day to 1.58 kilograms per day.
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.
Steers entered in the trial must be compliant with the Coles QA grass-fed program.
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 29 last year and after a settling in period, the steer trial began on July 6.
The herd was run in one mob on predominately ryegrass based pasture with supplements fed as deemed necessary depending on pasture growth.
Cattle were weighed five times throughout the trial period before their final weighing and being turned off on November 29.
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
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.Four steers were outside specifications for carcass weight and were awarded penalty points – all were under the 220 kg lower limit. The lightest steer was 40.5 kg underweight at a carcass weight of 179.5 kg resulting in an 81 point penalty for that carcass.
No individual steer/carcass was disqualified from the “domestic weight gain and carcass” category or the “highest carcass score as a pair.” However, to be in contention for the highest weight gain pair, both animals in the pair had to fall in the carcass weight specifications of 220kg to 330 kg carcass weight.
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 Carcase Appraisal System (ABCAS).
Results:
Combined weight gain and carcass - Tony and Marg Killalea of “Killandayle, Wantagong, NSW with Shorthorn cross AngusxShorthorn and a score of 226.6 points.
Second place was Bret and gaylene Garratt of “Brejayanne” at Allambee with a South Devon steer and score of 223.2; and third was Chase Jones of Jones Farms at Moorooduc with a Simmental Angus steer and score of 222.4.
Highest weight gain pair - Chase Jones, Jones farms at Moorooduc, Simmental Angus with an average daily weight gain for the pair of 1.4 kilograms.
Highest carcass score as a pair - Alex Lineham of Lineham Farms, Vervale with Angus steers, scoring an average 86.99 for the pair.
Highest eating quality - Dane Martin of Glenfalloch Station, Licola with Angus steers and an average MSA index of 62.48 for the pair.