Leon Wheeler is an old hand at producing calves for the Hamilton weaner sales, with his consistent quality lines of Hereford and Hereford-cross steers and heifers regularly topping the annual fixture.
Based at Wallacedale, it has been a challenging spring for Mr Wheeler and his partner Donna Eichler, with the constant rain impacting feed quality and quantity.
"A dry winter really helps and when it started raining in spring I was rubbing my hands together," Mr Wheeler said.
"But it just didn't stop, and I think the wet spring has had some effect on the calves.
"I wasn't really happy with them earlier on, but time will tell, they need the feed to harden up and some sun to put the weight on."
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At the sale last January, Mr Wheeler sold 204 steers, weighing an average of 395 kilograms, for an average price of $2500 a head, with the tops making an impressive $2640.
He also took home the best presented pen award, a Herefords Australia prize Mr Wheeler has won more times than not during the past 15 years of selling at Hamilton.
"The last weaner sales were exceptional for me, in terms of both prices and weight, I think it will be a long time until we see that price again," he said.
"One of the best things about last season was that I didn't really have a tail end, out of the 204 steers I sent in, 170 of them were the heaviest in the sale."
This season, Mr Wheeler and Ms Eichler will offer 200 steers and about 100 heifers, predominantly February/March-drop, in the new year weaner sales at Hamilton.
Final heifer numbers will depend on how many are kept as replacements.
Mr Wheeler is hoping this season's draft of steers could average about 380kg, while he estimates the heifers will be about 340kg.
"I don't think I'll get an average of 395kg, that's the best average I've ever had, but I'd like to think the steers might hit 380kg this year," he said.
"As far as prices go, it is hard to know, I'm hoping it may be around $2000 for the tops.
"The Hamilton sales are at least $100 a head better than going anywhere else, so I'd prefer to sell the lot there."
The Wheeler family have always run Hereford cattle and continue to be pleased with the breed's temperament, doing ability and weight gains.
This season, Mr Wheeler will calve down just under 400 cows and 110 heifers, and next year he plans to have about 500 breeders.
"I'm trying to build numbers up, generally I keep about 60-80 heifers as replacements but last year I kept 140," he said.
"I don't see any need to change breeds, my prices and weights are comparable to the Angus, so why not just keep improving my Hereford genetics?"
High-performing Hereford bulls, both polled and horned, are sourced from both the Yarram Park and Mawarra studs and Mr Wheeler is happy to pay more than the average price for his bulls, viewing it as a long-term investment in the quality of the breeding herd.
Shorthorn genetics from a range of studs, including Belmore, Eloora and Marschay, are also used to increase frame size, milking ability and give the calves some hybrid vigour.
About 40 pure Hereford cows are joined to a Shorthorn bull each year, producing strawberry roan calves which Mr Wheeler said were keenly sought after by feedlotters.
Mr Wheeler prefers to select his bulls visually, looking at structure, frame size and carcase shape as well as proven sire lines.
"When I first started growing weaners I had a lot of big-framed cows with no yield because my dad produced bullocks," he said.
"In the past 10 years I have focused on selecting more moderate-framed, meaty bulls to try and thicken the calves up and I think it has definitely worked.
"As far as estimated breeding values go, I look at carcase traits including eye muscle area, intramuscular fat and positive rib and rump fat.
"Growth rates, especially 200 and 400-day weights, are also important."
All the calves are weaned about five weeks prior to the sales and Mr Wheeler has had the most success simply weaning the calves over the fence from their mothers.
"Both the cows and calves are very quiet, we just draft them up in the yards and move them straight out into the paddocks," he said.
The steers will be offered through LMB Livestock on January 11, and the heifers on January 13.
