Labertouche Angus tops in steer trial
Twenty six beef producers were represented in the 47th Lardner Park steer trial for 2022, with 69 steers being assessed for their live weight gain and carcass performance.
The steer trial is the only grass based steer trial in Australia.
It was an Angus steer that took out the top award for combined weight gain and carcass score, entered by Tim Wilson of Ampitheatre Pastoral Partnership at Labertouche, who also won the highest weight gain pair category.
Poll Hereford steers entered by Stan Walker of Charellan Poll Herefords at Pearsondale won the highest carcass score as a pair class, while a pair of Hereford steers, entered by Tim Hayes of Tarcombe Herefords at Seymour won the highest eating quality class.
Average carcass weight for the steers entered in the 2022 competition was 269.2kg, compared to 275.6 in the 2021 competition.
The average weigh gain performance was 1.18 kilograms live weight per day. Individual steer live weight gains averaged over the trial period ranged from 600 grams per day to 1.67 kilograms live weight per day.
The top averaged weight gain for a pair of steers was 1.55 kilograms live weight per day for a pair of Angus Steers enetered by Ampitheatre Pastoral at labertouche.
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 28 last year and after a settling in period, the steer trial began on July 5.
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 28.
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.
One steer was outside specifications for carcass weight, weighing in at 219kg.
Four steers received no points due to missing specifications required for MSA grading relating to pH and meat colour.
Results:
Combined weight gain and carcass - Tim Wilson of Ampitheatre Pastoral Partnership, Labertouche with an Angus steer and a score of 229.85.
Second place was David Meikle of Tarwin Poll Herefords, Meeniyan with a Poll Hereford steer and a score of 228.32; and third was, Tim Stokes of Karn Station, Benalla with a Red Angus steer and a score of 222.96.
Highest weight gain pair - Tim Wilson of Ampitheatre Pastoral Partnership, Labertouche with an average daily weight gain for the pair of Angus steers of 1.55 kilograms per day.
Highest carcass score as a pair - Stan Walker of Charellan Poll Herefords, Pearsondale with Poll Hereford steers, scoring and average 90.66 for the pair.
Highest eating quality - Tim Hayes of Tarcombe Herefords, Seymour with Hereford steers and an average MSA index of 63.35 for the pair.