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Latest news……….

2019 Royal Adelaide Show
Led Steer Summary

The team of 3 SD’s did very well as did the other 6 SD animals presented.
No wonder John Burston and I had a difficult time selecting the SD team of 3 to compete against the other breeds, when there was only 5.95 points between the top South Devon Carcase ( 91.06 points) and the bottom SD ( 85.11)

The individual  scores were really good for all of the 9 SD steers. The team
of 3 came 4th overall (when adding the hoof points and the carcase points
together for the Thomas Foods International Trophy)

Interestingly the SD team came second in the team of 3, for overall carcase
points.

We lost points in the live judging only gaining  62.6/100, coming 11th out
of the 12 breeds competing, with the Simmentals winning the on hoof points section, with 86.6.

So we started with a considerable handicap. Our team of three collectively
scored 268.63/300 for carcase points coming 2nd  to the Simmentals with
273.7.

Our carcase results have always been the breeds biggest asset in the
competitive arena.

Congratulations to the breeders for the excellent line up of very good
cattle

(The overall competition had 162 mixed breed entered.)

supplied by Kaye Arnold

News from 2018…….

LARDNER PARK GRASS FEED STEER TRIAL 2018

(posted 20/2/19)

South Devon steers entered by Chris and Leonie Daley and South Devon XMurray Grey  steers from the Garratt family  were entered in the Lardner Park Grass Fed Steer Trial held annually. Over the years South Devons have dominated this trial particularly for weight gain. The recent trial results which were released at a Presentation dinner this week have proved again that South Devons perform exceptionally well on grass based feed alone.

The 2018  Lardner Park Steer Trial competition.

The initial weights were taken on 1^st August  after a one week settling in period and the final weight on 3^rd December. The herd was run in one mob on predominately rye grass-based pastures with supplements fed as deemed necessary depending on pasture growth. Cattle had to meet the following specifications for standard domestic trade when they were turned off. Hot Standard Carcase weight 210- 285 kgs. Fat range (P8) 8-14mm. 2 penalty points per kg were imposed if cattle fell outside specifications for  carcase weight. This year to be in contention to win the “Highest weight gain pair” both animals in the pair had to fall in the carcase weight specifications. If one or both animals in the pair failed to meet the carcase weight specifications, the pair were not eligible for the award. No individual steer/carcase was disqualified from the “Domestic Weight Gain and Carcase” category or “Highest Carcase score as a pair” if the animals failed to meet specifications as this was already taken into account through the penalty system.

2018 average weight gain performance of all 64 steers  of varying breeds and crossbreeds entered was 1.40 kgLW/day.

The highest individual weight gain of 1.73kgLW/day was from a South Devon x Charolais x Murray Grey steer bred and entered by Brett and Gaylene Garratt & family, with the other animal of the pair growing at 1.41kgLW/day resulting in a pair average of 1.57. Unfortunately the steer growing at 1.73kgLW/day did not meet carcase specifications, with the resulting carcase being overweight – meaning the pair of steers were ineligible for “Highest Weight Gain Pair Award”. The Steers penalty was 16 points leaving them with a  grand total score (weight and carcase)  of 207.6 points for weight gain and carcase.

The purebred steers entered by Chris & Leonie Daley ( progeny of Winterwood cows and The Bend Harley) also performed too well in the weight gain with one steer of the pair also being over the weight range and receiving 14 penalty points leaving a grand total score of 207.2 points. The Bend steers this year were also deemed ineligible for the Highest Weight Gain Pair Award.

This year the winner of the “Combined Weight Gain  and Carcase Award”was “Killandayle” Angus x Angus/Shorthorn from NSW with a total score of 222.3 points. The “Highest Weight Gain Pair Award” went to Dockers Plains Pastoral with Angus steers with the pairs average daily gain of 1.56kg/day.

For your interest the live weights of the steers at first weighing  on 1/8 and the last on 3/12 were as follows:

Brejayanne- 1/8/18         –  319 and 332kgs            3/12/18                – 494 and 546     average weight gain 1.57 kgs per day

The Bend – 1/8/18           – 321 and 345kgs             3/12/18                –  524 and 538    average weight gain 1.60 kgs per day

BEEF AUSTRALIA ROCKHAMPTON

6th – 12th MAY 2018

Report from the World Conference Tour of South Africa
World Conference 2017 – South Africa[1081]