2008 Team Te Mania Workshop
Steers bred using Te Mania genetics are at the top end of the performance table when it comes to carcass compliance, marbling, product quality and feedlot profitability at the Rangers Valley feedlot.
That was one of the key messages given to 26 Team Te Mania members and Te Mania clients who visited NSW and Queensland during a two-day field trip in April.
Te Mania Angus Co-Principal, Hamish McFarlane said "the trip which replaced this year's Team Workshop at Geelong, provided members a massive insight into the drivers which effect the feedlot performance of steers."
Hamish said the trip was all about improving the quality of our product.
It commenced with a dinner at the Moore Park Inn, Armidale, where 8 leading industry scientists were the guests of Team Te Mania.
Dr Peter Parnell, Beef Genetics Director of the Beef Industry Centre of Excellence with the NSW DPI, was the guest speaker, who discussed building an innovative framework around the Team Te Mania supply chain network.
Dr Hans-Ulrich Graser, Director of AGBU, commended the unique Team concept, its focus on progeny testing and its dedication to working closely with researchers throughout the beef chain to improve product quality.
The group visited the Beef CRC at Armidale, NSW, where CRC director, Dr Heather Burrow discussed the enormous potential of developing genetic technology.
Dr Burrow said DNA technology would soon allow seedstock producers to screen animals at birth for up to 2000 genetic markers and generate marker-assisted-EBVs for traits covering growth, carcass and meat quality, feed efficiency and disease resistance.
NSW Department of Primary Industry researcher Dr Paul Greenwood outlined his extensive research into the environmental factors that influence an animal's ability to reach its genetic potential for marbling, tenderness and retail beef yield.
Other speakers included Dr David Johnston, Principal Scientist, AGBU and Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit consultant Wayne Upton.
The group then headed to Glen Innes where they met with Rangers Valley General Manager - Malcolm Foster, Livestock Manager - Richard Eldershaw, Feedmill supervisor - Joe McGrath and other feedlot staff over lunch before touring the feedlot.
Over lunch Team members were shown how cattle from their individual properties and different Team Te Mania sires compared with all steers processed through Rangers Valley. The Team was shown the results from data analysis by David Rutley from Adelaide University. This analysis put a value on cattle from 2500 vendors over 10 years. This report showed how extraordinarily well Team member's cattle ranked. The Team was also shown their recent sales history with R/V, which highlighted that members received premiums in line with the extra value of their cattle in terms of landed costs at R/V. Richard added that rising freight costs continually make it difficult for R/V to translate this to on-farm premiums for producers.
The key message from Rangers Valley was that the steers supplied by Team Te Mania members obviously have the genetic potential needed for long feeding, and yard weaning and "trained to feed" cattle were highly valued by the feedlot.
The following day Team members visited the John Dee Abattoir at Warwick in Queensland, where cattle from Rangers Valley are processed for export.
Team members were able to go through the chillers and look at carcasses from steers bred by Team member, Jon Jackson from Toolong at Woolsthorpe, which had been fed at Rangers Valley for 330 days.
The group also went through the boning room to see how the carcasses were broken down and packed for export. In a separate demonstration, a side of beef was broken down in to the primal cuts. It was intriguing to see an 800 kg liveweight steer, become a 450 kg carcase and then become 190 kgs of primal cuts. The prized tenderloin, striploin & cube roll make up about 30 kgs in total!
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