Glenmorgan producers target the feeder market

The Benjamin’s aim is to breed milk tooth steers and heifers and turn them off directly to feedlots on the Southern Downs at between 380kg to 400kg for heifers and 450kg to 470kg for steers.

They run 400 Droughtmaster and Droughtmaster cross breeders on 4858 hectares of developed brigalow and red belah country improved to buffel and natural blue grass at Erringibba, situated south of Glenmorgan. Their Droughtmaster breeders are joined to Charolais bulls they have been buying from stud breeders Glen Waldron and Kim Groner of Elite Cattle Company, Meandarra, for the past 10 years.

Mr Benjamin said they have been averaging 300c/kg livestock in paddock sales to the feedlots for the past 12 months.

They join their breeders from October for four months and before bulls are introduced to the herd they are tested for fertility.

“Prior to joining we make sure our breeders and sires are in great condition,” Mr Benjamin said.

“We feed out dry lick to the breeders when necessary to give them a lift, while the bulls are fed hay and supplement.”

This really pays dividends for the family which enjoy a calving percentage upwards of 90 per cent.

“In fact we have just finished pregnancy testing for this year and have recorded 97 per cent,” Mr Benjamin said.

All cows calve down before Christmas, and weaning gets underway in April and May when the calves reach between 230kg to 280kg.

The weaners are handled and educated while being fed hay and worked with Border Collie working dogs.

The family completes two mustering rounds annually.

The first round gets underway in January when calves are branded and dry cows are removed from the herd and consigned to the Dalby Saleyards.

The second round in May involves weaning and pregnancy testing, and all cattle are inoculated with Ultravac 7 in 1 and Pestivirus vaccine.

The Benjamin’s also buy in 10 per cent of their replacement breeders, again sticking with Droughtmaster and Droughtmaster cross and selecting for temperament and breed type.

All maiden heifers are joined to Angus bulls in their first mating, which are sourced from Darren Hegarty, Carabar Angus Stud, Meandarra.

Additional trade steers and heifers are bought from Roma, Blackall and Dalby Saleyards, as well as paddock sale transactions, to boost turn-off at Erringibba.

Cam and Kristina Benjamin like to buy steers in the 250kg to 270kg weight range, and heifers in the 230kg to 250kg weight specification. In all, they buy in 900 head annually and these cattle join the same program as their home-bred cattle.

“We work our budget to buy and sell regularly,” Mr Benjamin said.

The family bought Erringibba, south of  Glenmorgan, 28 years ago.

“Since then we set about developing it to improved buffel country, and now our son Will is continuing the work.”

They have 120 hectares of oats in winter and supplement feed all trade cattle in the paddock year round.