Steer Planet - Show Steers and Club Calves Forum

Librarian. Really what you are looking for are early maturing animals that fit your production system that involves grass. 90%+ of the cattle we produce over here are on grass using the same mainstream US genetics commonly found in ranches and feedlots. These cattle perform well finishing and growing and hitting grid targets. For us cattle which are to early maturing fall short in reaching grid targets. I realise we can grow grass 10 months of the year and do not have climate restraints you do but for us the grass finishing priniciples and selection criteria are the same for cattle weather grass or feedlot just slightly slower on grass.

Well from an Aussie "kahuna " applies to to a set of male appendages not female appendages.

Forrest

Very good job. Maybe to good. Now the list will include improvements to other parts of the house because what you have done makes other areas look below par. Just my experience

Congrats. Good looking pair. Good luck for November 

  Always hard don't matter how hard you think you are hard to say hood bye to a four legged mate

Do you know what the foundation Angus bloodlines were that they started with?

Xbar a bit more about the program which gives you abit more back ground

The NSW Department of Agriculture developed a research herd from registered Angus stock at their research centre in Trangie NSW Australia. The research centre was created in 1929 to provide quality Angus genetics to the NSW cattle industry. Seed stock were purchased from Scotland, Canada, America and selected Australian Studs to form the foundation of the herd. From 1929 to 1963 the Angus herd was prominent in the Australian showing circuit and won many major awards. The research herd was closed to outside genetics in 1964 after the purchase of herd sires from leading Australian Studs, Wambanumba, Glengowan, Tulagi and Wallah.


In 1963 the emphasis at Trangie was changed to scientific research in the form of performance recording. The project, involving weight gain, structural measurements, objective visual assessment and selective breeding, continued through to 1973 and pioneered performance testing in Australia today. The trial which produced the Lowline breed began in 1974, with funding from the Australian Meat Research Corporation, to evaluate selection for growth rate on herd profitability. The aim was to establish whether large or small animals were more efficient converters of grass into meat. This project continued for 19 years. The Trangie herd was divided into three groups based on yearling growth rates. The high yearling growth rate cattle were named High lines, the low yearling growth rate cattle were named the Low line and a randomly selected group was named the Control line. A program of detailed evaluation was implemented, which included weight gain, feed intake, reproductive performance, milk production, carcass yield and structural correctness. The protein conversion performances of the High line and the Low line cattle were monitored and recorded on an individual basis. The lines continued to grow apart with the selection process and recorded on an individual basis.

After 15 years the Low line of cattle were around 30% smaller than the High lines. The result of the efficiency in conversion was the same for the bulk of the Low and High line

Care needs to be taken introducing Lowline in to the mainstream genetic base. Here for a while many ranches were using Lowline bulls over hfrs and then selling those calves at weaner sales. These calves looked the same as their comtemporary groups that were out of cows but did not grow out costing the the buyer and the industry a lot of money. Practice has all but stopped  due to industry backlash. Proceed with care