Page 103 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2019 Edition

group were Kiwis, who were treated to a five-star lunch of organic Indicus breeds. The breed is a composite of several breeds
Brahman steaks, salads, desserts, and organic wine and beer. including Africander (African Sanga), Hereford, and Shorthorn.
The Research Station works closely with CQUniversity,
JARRAH CATTLE COMPANY allowing for the trialling of new technologies and the subsequent
Discussions with the Becker family on their stand at the showgrounds data collection. A number of projects and trials are undertaken
led to the hasty arrangement of a rental car and a few hours’ drive year-round on the property and many of these were on display
south to the town of Banana for a few members of the tour party for the group. Projects viewed by the group included the ever-
for an impromptu farm and stud tour. Jarrah Cattle is one of the developing technologies of GPS monitoring of individual animals
northernmost Hereford studs and breed Herefords alongside tropical where there has been an evolution from large collars fitted around
composites – the Redford and the Jarrah Red – using Hereford, cows’ necks, through to the latest technology where the same
Red Brahman and Santa Gertrudis genetics. The composites aim information can be gathered and stored in a modified ear tag.
to maintain the key attributes and strengths of the Hereford breed – Also viewed at Belmont was walk-over weighing technology. This
temperament, softness, fertility and do-ability. The group was hosted walk-over weighing involves setting up scales, auto-drafters and
by the patriarch of the family, Jim Becker. Jim is a real character vision recognition technology around the cattle’s water source,
as well as an astute businessman and former accountant, who so animals have their weight recorded and stored every time they
moved into the cattle industry alongside his family. Over dinner the come to drink. This allows weekly weights and weight gains to be
discussions with Jim turned to professional development and the monitored without the need to yard animals.
group soon found themselves discussing their operations at home, The systems are being tested and enhanced with a view to
along with their strengths and weaknesses. One key message the integrating a wide range of systems into simple, practical solutions
group took away from Jim was to take a risk and have a crack, but that can drive improved herd management and profitability. Data
to always take your families with you on the journey! from these technologies is analysed as part of research activities
The farm tour of Jarrah Cattle had the group wanting to with insights presented via CQUniversity’s DataMuster app – a
understand the rationale of autumn and spring calving in Australia fast, simple and accurate tool for monitoring both whole herd
and also the fertility of Tropical (Bos Indicus) cattle versus the performance right down to the individual animal traits.
Hereford (Bos Taurus) cattle. Freshly born pure Hereford calves were
inspected, and as it was the dry season they were being calved THANK YOU
on fairly rank native pasture, which was quite different from what The NZ Hereford Youth would like to thank all the NZHA members
the group were used to seeing as grazing for freshly calved cows who contribute to the youth programme, especially key sponsor
in New Zealand. A grain feeder was also being used to provide Boehringer Ingelheim for its continued support.
some form of quality feed for milking. The group was impressed to
hear any cows scanned dry were culled and not carried over for a BELOW: Josh McCormick with a Red Brahman bull; Judging of
Santa Gertrudis bulls at Beef Week
second chance in the next mating period. The farm’s yearling heifers
were also inspected, with both the Herefords and composites
being mated as yearlings at around 290 to 320kg live weight, with
fairly good conception rates achieved. The infusion of Hereford
blood into the Redford and Jarrah Red has certainly helped lift the
fertility, and interestingly the famous Droughtmaster also had a large
input of Hereford blood in its creation as a standardised breed.
The breeding aim of the composites was to produce a light-red
coloured animal, as biting flies were attracted to darker coloured
cattle coats; also smoother skinned animals are better adapted for
dealing with the heat. A flat back was also desired and a premium
was paid for animals without the Brahman-type hump. The in-calf
heifers were also viewed and looked similar in size and condition to
the heifers around New Zealand, and were all calved in the spring
to make use of the rainy season’s extra pasture growth.

BELMONT RESEARCH STATION
Belmont Research Station was visited by several of the group to
see new technologies being developed and trialled in a real-life
situation. The 3260ha property is 37km north of Rockhampton
on the Fitzroy River. It provides the ideal environment for research
into livestock production in the tropics and subtropics of northern
Australia and has been the premier research station for the north
Australian beef industry for more than 60 years. Notably, the
Belmont Red breed of cattle was developed at Belmont Research
Station in 1954 in response to the need in the Australian Tropics
for cattle that would offer improved fertility over the pure Bos
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