In a trial involving 104 Angus sired calves and 80 Salers calves aged semen to nine months, sold in Bendigo from February to June 2005, Salers returned me 32 per cent more per head.
The ramifications of this data are huge.
A recent CRC trial showed Brahman and Euro cross steers are much more efficient than British breed steers on net feed intake (NFI). The top figure recorded was negative 0.61 with Angus Brahman recording the worst figure of plus 0.30.
There has been a lot of negative publicity about EBV’s (estimated breeding values) being unreliable. Too much emphasis is put on them as a selection tool, with “low reliability” of less than 90 per cent.
GeneSTAR technology with four genes identified for each category of marbling, tenderness and net feed intake is a reliable way of assessing cattle with two stars for each gene.
In a survey of Japanese consumers of Australian beef, consumers rated tenderness more important than marbling. There is no EBV for tenderness.
Salers are leaders in GeneSTAR technology with “awesome results”, according to Hayley Moreland of GeneSTAR.
One bull, Lake Gurii Panther, has recorded three stars for marbling, seven for tenderness and six for NFI; a total of 16 stars.
Other Saler bulls have recorded seven and eight for BFI and combining these results with Salers renowned high growth rate makes them the breed to be in.
Feedlots want more Euro cross and say the days of straight bred British cattle are coming to an end like in the US.
“Research has inferred that animals with low net feed intake will perform better than their higher net feed intake counterparts, whether in a feedlot or on pasture, in dry conditions or on abundant fee,” according to CRC for Beef Genetic Technology chief executive Heather Burrows.
With lower than average rainfall and higher costs of grain and fodder, cattle with low NFI are vital to a profitable beef operation.
Salers have been recorded at 2.66kgs of feed per kg of gain, easily beating the previous best recorded of four to one by a line of 200 Brahman heifers in a Queensland feedlot.
Can you afford not to have modern Salers bulls in modern times?
Frank Hill, Knowsley via Heathcote.
Lake Genoe Panther owned by Frank Hill, Birth weight 38kg, 960kg at 28 months, frame score 8.2
Genestar marbling = 3, Tenderness = 7, Feed EFF = 6
Serviced 160 cows in 2005
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