A slight change in strategy to provide some extra options for marketing will see a change in the mix of weaners coming forward to this year’s weaner sales from John and Liz Craig, Inverell, Casterton.
Long time vendors at the Hamilton weaner sales, the Craigs have been well rewarded for putting their trust and faith in the long lineage of Hereford breeding for their cattle operations.
The Inverell weaners have been top of the drop for many years as measured by the annual Southern Weaner sales at Hamilton.
Year after year the Craig’s Hereford calves have greeted buyers in the prime position in the first run of the annual sale.
The weaner sale path has been the chosen one for their sale cattle where the best returns were available, however this year John Craig said they had chosen to change-up their production system by retaining the majority of their heifer weaners.
“In the longer term we are looking to become grass finishers, growing out our own heifers,” Mr Craig said.
“We have signed up to the Greenhams “Never Ever” beef program.
“I like the fact that the price is the same no matter what sex the cattle are or what color they are - it’s one price.”
Consumers were increasingly wanting to know about what they were eating and what the animals were treated with.
The herd was already Meat Standards Australia and European Union accredited so little additional recording was required.
“In the past genetics and pastures came first then marketing, now marketing is top of the list,” he said.
“It’s the same for the whole industry. The abattoirs are working closely with the producers and that is building a better culture for both sectors.”
The Craigs will still forward their usual draft of around 200 Hereford steers for the Hamilton sale, with heifer numbers reduced to 50.
For the past few years one buyer has bought the majority of the Craig’s steers from the Hamilton yards.
“We try to follow up with the buyer to make sure the cattle are doing what they should,” Mr Craig said.
If buyers were serious about the job they would have the kill data and know the genetics behind the cattle they buy, he said.
While the longer term plan was to value add to their own genetics through a grass finishing system, heading into 2019 retained heifers would be joined.
He said the strategy provided additional marketing options after drought conditions and a high female kill rate had decimated breeding stocks.
Today the Craigs join around 500 females in a self-replacing herd run over properties at Casterton and south of Hamilton.
From the beginning the Inverell herd has utilised predominantly Yarram Park sires.
Visually they were looking for bulls with structure, length and muscling.
Objectively they look for bulls with good figures for eye muscle area and intramuscular fat.
“If you want to finish cattle on grass you need genetics that is raised on grass - something that can perform off grass only,” Mr Craig said.
The Craigs follow closely the genetics of Yarram Park but will occasionally also look further afield for an outcross sire.
The Inverell steers usually averaged 345 to 370 kilograms at sale time, while the heifers (not the tops) averaged 305 to 320kg.
After a wet winter this year followed by a low rainfall through September-October, weights were expected to “end up similar”.
Mr Craig said rain towards the end of November had freshened the bottom of the pastures that the calves were weaned onto.
The calves were yard-weaned five to six weeks prior to the sale day and given the normal veterinary treatments.