MARK Calvert-Jones had note pad and pen poised as he waited against the rails for yet another pen of his and wife Louise’s quality Angus females to go under the hammer.
A crowd gathered for each pen and buyers were pushed up to heights of $885 and $940 to secure joined heifers and cows.
They were reducing numbers from their Mansfield properties, Tonga Station (1214 hectares) and Blackheath (405ha) where they run 700 Te Mania blood breeders.
Up until recently it was a mixed livestock operation, but first-cross ewes for prime lamb production were pulled up 12 months ago due to the detection of Ovine Johnes Disease.
Since, they have concentrated solely on their cattle breeding and trading operation.
They are part of Team Te Mania and breed and trade steers for the feedlot.
Recently they have begun joining 200 head of their breeding herd to Charolais bulls for hybrid vigour.
Introduced 12 months ago, the first Charolais-Angus calves are now on the ground and on average weigh about 45-50 kilograms more than their straight Angus counterparts.
Keen to trial new avenues for revenue, Mr Calvert-Jones said they run their business to achieve particular goals.
“Our ultimate aim is to not necessarily make lots of money from the property, but have a comfortable lifestyle where we enjoy ourselves and there’s a bit of money at the end of the day,” Mr Calvert-Jones said.
Previously Bovilis Pestigard and five-in-one vaccines were trialled on a number of steers for Rockdale Feedlot, Yanco, NSW, with the results used to lessen mortality rates, Mr Calvert-Jones said.
Calves, born mid-August are imprint fed silage on their mothers before being weaned between five and six months of age.
Post-weaning they are fed a silage ration to ensure weight gain continues at about 0.8-1kg daily.
The steer portion of the annual draft is fattened at Blackheath and trucked to Yanco as close as they can get to 500 kilograms (mostly aged 16 and 18 months).
The Charolais-cross calves will be sent to the best available market when they are ready to go.
Steers bought to be traded are selected straight out of the paddock in runs of about 200-plus.
They are then sold via contract to Rockdale in mobs sized anywhere from 50 to 400 head.
The sale structure has been made harder following Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) withdrawing their MLA/SFE cattle futures contract earlier in the year.
Mr Calvert-Jones described the move as “extremely disappointing” given there was no effective consultation.
Had this occurred Mr Calvert-Jones felt there may have been a possibility something could have been done to salvage the contract.
Now, with their risk management system up in the air, he said their business has been left very exposed.
“I’m not sure what we’ll do … that’s why I spent the $5 MLA levy fee, it was mainly from the risk management point of view.”
