SHORTHORN FLYER
July 2008
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Congratulations to the Beef Expo Committee for having the foresight to move the Beef Expo to Feilding’s Manfeild Agricultural Events Stadium, Manfeild Park.
What a big improvement this facility is from the past. With the continued upgrading of this facility the future looks bright for selling bulls at Manfeild Park. With some new rules this year regarding conditions of entry for the Beef Expo we saw slightly fewer bulls entered but a very strong line up of bulls from some new and return
vendors.
We saw an increased average price on the last two years which at $6583 was the third highest breed average over the sale week. We also achieved a near complete clearance through the ring. Top price and Champion Bull was Austins Legacy 06074 sold by Austins Shorthorns to John and Lindy Dobson. Reserve Champion and second top price went to Morton Shorthorns Orena Carnavel 06021 sold to Ody Brothers. Third place went to a first time Vendor at Beef Expo, Bev Helm, selling Rough Ridge Gus
06006 to John and Melissa Jebson.
With Beef Expo being the first of several Shorthorn Auction Sales it is pleasing to see that these sales have continued on having good results. Council felt it was an opportune time to put out a questionnaire to Vendors and Purchasers of bulls at Expo to get some feedback on the new venue and the few changes that have been made to the entry form. While Council is yet to study the returns they look positive with some good comments for us to consider. Thank you
to everyone who has taken time to fill these in and return to the office.
While in Feilding for Expo I attended the Grand Opening of the new PBB building as your representative. This is a fantastic building and should fill the needs of PBB for a long time into the future. It was great to be able to use the meeting rooms for our Council Meetings and Combined Share Holders Meeting held over Expo.
The Steak of Origin is growing every year with over 300 entries this year. Unfortunately for Shorthorns
we didn’t get anyone into the finals but I would like to thank all those that did enter. Please keep trying as I am sure Shorthorns have a place in the finals of the Steak of Origin. Our Dinner at Ally Katz’s in Feilding held at the time of Expo was a great success. Over 40 Members and Friends attended this evening function, where we presented Ian and Heather Brown with their Life Membership badges.
Tim Plummer also spoke on some Beef Branding that we are trying to establish to help
promote Shorthorn Beef. Tim has put some information together on this Beef Branding elsewhere in this newsletter. Thanks to Timothy Plummer and John Reeves for overseeing this project and to Mark Collis for supplying the first heifers. Bill and I were lucky to be involved with the Future Beef Steer Hoof and Hook competition held the weekend prior to Beef Expo and what a great experience that was.
Mark Stevens and Rebecca Black along with their team of helpers need to be congratulated on a well
run weekend that saw 50 competitors under 25 years of age take part in this educational weekend. Thanks must go to Jim and Nick Syme and Timothy Plummer for supplying steers and for getting a group of young people involved in this weekend.
There has been some confusion over the naming of the two new Breed Indexes that we have finalised. The Self Replacing Indexes is to be called EXPORT MATERNAL and the Ease of Calving called CALVING EASE DAIRY. Please remember if you have a good young bull that
you would like trailed in the Durham Herd please get in touch with either James or Bill Austin. You can have semen taken off on farm for this.
Hopefully we will all enjoy a good spring and look forward to the arrival of this seasons calves.
Judy Austin
Breeder Survey Summary by Claire Grant
Today’s farming environment may be throwing up challenges for New Zealand’s beef farmers, but it’s not all doom and gloom.
The long-term future of the beef industry looks very positive for New Zealand pasture-fed beef according to Meat & Wool New Zealand Economic Service.
Predictions remain that the US, New Zealand’s biggest beef market, will continue to demand beef at its current record high level, fuelled by a domestic policy that has caused an ethanol boom and subsequent food price inflation. There are also positive implications in New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with China, which
is now importing a growing amount of our beef.
The world price of food rose 10 per cent in 2006, driven mainly by surging prices of corn, wheat and soybean oil and New Zealand Shorthorn Association president Judy Austin believes this will have a positive long-term effect on beef demand, which is good news for New Zealand farmers.
Bull sales were up at the recent New Zealand Beef Expo, and Mrs Austin said that demonstrates confidence in the future of the industry. Mrs Austin said these results suggest
farmers are looking beyond the current downturn. “Despite the current environment, it’s clear farmers are still investing, with an eye to positioning themselves with the type of stock that will be able to deliver when farmers need it most. Interest in Shorthorn cattle was keen in the recent national sales.
The Shorthorn sale netted $79,000, around $7000 up on last year, a very credible feat given low returns across the sheep and beef industries over the last year. The top Shorthorn
bull Austin Legacy, owned by the Austin family, reaching a very pleasing $18,000, with the average price $6583. She puts the renewed interest in the Shorthorn breed down to the benefits of cross-breeding, and the breed’s overall versatility.
New Zealand cattle farmers are exploiting the Shorthorn’s hybrid vigour, in a cross bred either with Angus, or a three way cross with Angus/Hereford. “The beauty of this is that the hybrid vigour, combined with the breed’s natural ability
to grow out well, produce good slaughter weights at 18 months, something we now know from our survey that farmers appreciate.”
The boost in Beef Expo sales backs up results from a survey conducted by the New Zealand Shorthorn Association, which showed Shorthorn are specifically adding profitability to cattle farmers by their early maturing and good growth rates. Feedback suggests they are easy to fatten, there is good calf survivability and the breed are very good at cleaning up pasture.
Survey
The association carried out the survey to identify the key breed characteristics the beef farmers of today require.
Not only did that provide some valuable insights into how farmers view the Shorthorn’s function in the beef industry, it has also reinforced what the breed is known for.
“Shorthorn has traditionally been thought of as the hardy breed, but farmers the length and breadth of New Zealand are adding force to that, extolling the ability of the cattle to
grow out well on conditions that range from 400 metres above sea level, to drought-prone pastures, bush, and rough gullies,” Mrs Austin said.
“Their ‘do-ability’ was particularly noticeable in the recent dry.”
The most important Shorthorn attributes the survey found were maternal traits, and temperament/handling, and formed the basis for most farmers choosing to farm the Shorthorn breed. Hardiness rated very well and farmers were particularly satisfied with the breed’s
early maturing and good growth characteristics, as well as good calving due to a medium size animal, and fertility. Meat too played an important part, with farmers noting good muscling, low fat and good marbling.
“We’ve concluded these traits together represent a very versatile animal, one that is handling the range of New Zealand conditions well, and producing good profits for the farmers using them,” she said.
Research findings summary
- Profitability through early maturing and good finishing.
- Overwhelmingly, farmers indicated Shorthorns offer flexibility in marketing and finishing steers by getting prime quickly.
- Temperament and maternal are key characteristics.
- There is a cross-breeding advantage and better growth from hybrid vigour in using Shorthorns.
- Shorthorns are incredibly hardy over a huge range of conditions.
- They have handled drought conditions extremely well.
- The cows' ability to clean up pasture is underestimated.
- Shorthorns are killing out well.
- Most farmers thought Shorthorns were very important for their meat production, and had desirable meat characteristics such as good marbling.
Council has been approached by a Meat Company in Hamilton asking if our members could supply prime cattle of Shorthorn origin, finished to their required specification, from which primal cuts would be supplied to a Hamilton Restaurant as the Shorthorn Brand.
Those of you present at our dinner prior to Expo would have been briefed as to the proposal. Since then ten heifers from Mark Collis have been processed. Mark, John Reeves and myself spent three hours at the Hamilton beef plant watching and
discussing the quartered beef as the quarters were being broken down.
First reaction to these carcasses is very favourable. Size of muscle, colour, adequate marbling and indications of tenderness of the muscle. One could poke a finger well into the eye muscle only six days after slaughter.
The steaks from these bodies will now be served at a Restaurant where further comment and feed-back will be provided. These heifers from Mark are the first of several trial lots; from each we will gather data,
from which specification guidelines will be decided. It is early days yet but this is a very positive opportunity for our breed to brand its meat, evidence that Shorthorn can provide an eating experience and link our breed to a supply chain.
If our product from these trials gets the nod then we Shorthorn breeders would collectively need to commit to finding a regular supply of suitable cattle. Initially it could be five bodies a week and a start date could be as early as September. This would need
to be a breed initiative with all supplying bulls to commercial farmers and or finishing steers and heifers themselves to become involved.
The collection of further data, discussion by Council, The S horthorn BrandingMeat Company and Chefs at the restaurant will further define the specifications.
Acceptable is likely to be heifers and steers suitable for local trade, grading prime, 240 - 260 kgs.
Carcass weight, ideally with 6 - 8 mm of rib fat.
Straight Shorthorn, Shorthorn x Angus and Shorthorn
x Hereford qualify, certainly no dairy x in back-ground but colour of hide would not be important.
During the development stage of this project arrangements have been made for AFFCO to acquire the stock from the farmer paying the local trade weekly schedule. AFFCO would arrange trucking and processing with the carcasses changing ownership to the Hamilton Meat Company at scale. If we can get this off the ground there are opportunities to capture some premiums for the breeders and finishers of the
cattle that meet specification!
The possibility of establishing a supply chain where forward conditioned steers and heifers are purchased by a finisher who would in turn select and supply stock to requirements weekly! The opportunity of retaining ownership of hides and so capturing their processed value!
Most important of all it is an opportunity for our breed to get factual carcass data for our breed. (Mark’s heifers were by the one bull which has a good plus for IMF).
This is an exciting
offer we have had. Despite the limited numerical numbers of breeders we have, Council believe this is an opportunity that our breed must progress and to do that we will need co-operation and participation from all who can get involved. If you know of or have cattle that may be suitable that would be ready in the next three months please let me or John Reeves know.
We will progress further trial stock in the weeks ahead and certainly a formal launch of the Shorthorn Brand is eminent and we will
notify you of this when it is to happen.
- OVERDUE CALF ENTRIES need to completed and sent to the Office as soon as possible. If you have misplaced them and need more please contact the Office.
- ADLs are being sent out and will need to be returned to the Office promptly to enable accurate female charging.
- IMPORTED SIRES, DAMS & EMBRYOS please supply pedigrees and DNA to the Office as soon as possible so as not to delay calf entry and next years sire mating details being entered.
- OUTLIERS Some of you may have received outlier reports from the latest group run. It is IMPORTANT that these outliers are verified with Registry, to ensure the animal in question and its progeny are reinstated into the next Group run analysis. Please return the outlier forms with any alterations to the Office.
- TRANSFE R AUTHORISATION CERTIFICATES are available from the Office. These can be completed, signed and sent to the Office for processing. NOTE: Animals sold at the EXPO are the vendor’s
responsibility to transfer.
Linda Shailer
lindas@beefbreeders.co.nz
Registry
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