With input costs rising, producers are constantly searching for ways to increase profitability, prompting breeders and butchers alike to capitalise on the "superior" carcase traits of Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle.
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Wayne and Belinda Hess, based at Maclagan on the Darling Downs, first introduced a Blonde d'Aquitaine bull to their British cross commercial cow herd in 2000.
Being a butcher, Mr Hess was able to see the exceptional carcase results first-hand and the couple have continued to use the Blonde genetics in their commercial program ever since. They also started their own stud, Wait a Wyle Blonde d'Aquitaines, in 2012.
The couple are in the unique position of being able to follow their cattle from conception to plate, where they are killed locally at Maclagen, before being sold through a butcher shop in Toowoomba.
Their breeder herd now consists of 130 commercial and 70 stud cattle, with their commercial herd being majority Blonde d'Aquitaine bulls over Angus cows, and vice versa.
Mr Hess said the cross was the best of both worlds - ideal fat coverage and exceptional meat quality.
"You're getting a bit more fat cover by going that way with the Angus, and also getting the yield from the Blondes," he said.
"That's what the butchers and the customers want.
"Blonde crossed with anything, still muscles them up and gives them a better yield.
"A lot of the breeds, like Droughtmasters, Brahmans, Santas, and Shorthorns, are putting them across their breed to muscle them up a bit."
The higher meat yields in Blonde cattle are due to their larger Eye Muscle Areas (EMA), Mr Hess said.
"That bigger EMA means bigger, quality cuts of meat, like your eye fillet and rib fillet, which is where you make your money," he said.
"You can really see it in their backline, being so wide."
With consistent yields above 60 per cent, Mr Hess said it was no surprise they had received such good feedback from butchers.
"Butchers that understand percentages really see the benefit in the Blonde cross cattle because there is less waste and more saleable meat," he said.
Toowoomba butcher Grays Modern Meats, wrote a testimony on their appreciation for the Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle, praising their meat quality, yield and carcase confirmation.
"Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle have a good meat-to-bone ratio, meaning they produce a high yield of meat per animal," they said.
"This characteristic is advantageous for butchers as they can obtain more meat from each carcase, maximising their profits and meeting customer demands more efficiently.
"The breed's carcase confirmation and consistency is highly valued because of the higher yield in the more expensive meat cuts especially rib and eye fillet, making for a higher profit margin and happier customers."
Former Nolans Meats employee Barry McIntyre gave a presentation last year, detailing the benefits of the higher yields exhibited by the Blonde d'Aquitaine from a processing side of things.
Going through past Gympie Carcase Classic data, Mr McIntyre said in the 2021 competition, the 220 head of cattle entered registered an average EMA of 79 sq cm, while the the 21 head of Blonde and Blonde cross cattle had an average EMA of 93 sq cm.
"That's where the money is and as processors, we're looking for red meat in a box, and the meat we're looking for are those big, high value cuts," he said.
"I'm a big believer in 'everything's got a cost and the world runs on numbers', and through what we do, we've got to be able to work product through the bone room fast. These good, flat boned Blonde cattle seem to yield well and they're less work for us."
Mr Hess attested to the Blonde's weight gain abilities, and said they had seen some phenomenal results recently, including a mob of grassfed weaner heifers who had put on 88kg in 84 days.
The couple said by excelling in weight for age, the Blondes were producing a profitable return for input.
Such high weight for age also allows for earlier joining in heifers, and with females who rank highly for fertility, Mr Hess said they were able to calve all year round and keep up their supply to the butcher shop.
He said they typically join heifers at 13 to 15 months of age, at around 200 to 250kg, thanks to the breed's early carcase and reproductive maturity.
"We try to put cattle in the feedlot every three to four weeks, because when they're going in regularly, they're also coming out regularly and you can catch the rise and fall of the market," Mr Hess said.
