BAUHINIA beef producers Annie and Rob Donoghue are adamant there's more money in kilograms produced rather than chasing market premiums for implant-free cattle.
Annie, who is a qualified veterinarian, says the lure of achieving premiums for implant-free cattle is appealing but problematic for many breeders in Central and North Queensland.
Annie and Rob run Brahman-cross breeders on an aggregation of properties centred around Barranga in the Bauhinia district, west of Moura.
"The reality is that for many producers like us, dropping implants is currently not economical," Annie said.
"Our goal is to produce 300 to 320kg carcases that are within market specifications between 28 and 33 months of age.
"We want to ensure they are off the property by winter to maximise the nutritional opportunity for the next line of animals coming through.
"To achieve this, we need our cattle to achieve growth rates of at least 0.6kg/day over their whole life, or 0.5kg/day if they are 200kg at seven months of age.
"A whole-of-life implant strategy, combined with our cross-breeding, genetic improvement, pasture improvement and strategic nutritional support programs, is the difference between whether we achieve this or not."
The downside of the Donoghues' implant strategy is its effect on ossification and thus MSA grades.
"Our implant program means our steers are going to have a relatively high ossification score," Annie said.
"Combined with the high Bos Indicus content of our cattle and our distance from meatworks, it's always going to be a tall order for our steers to achieve MSA grades.
"We have found it very difficult to achieve adequate levels of compliance in implanted steers to warrant the exercise.
"But at the end of the day, we are paid for the total number of kilograms of beef we produce, so our aim is to maximise that.
"We are convinced that using implants in our steers currently delivers a greater return through increased weight gains rather than attempting to achieve a premium by not using implants.
"For us, implants are a tool to maximise liveweight on each individual for the time they are on our place, which allows us to hit target weights earlier and maximise the number of cattle we are able to run without jeopardising the health of our pastures."
That said and done, the Donoghues are successfully targeting MSA premiums with their non-implanted heifers.
"We don't usually implant our heifers due to their production of oestrogen once puberty is reached, which means we can target these premiums with those heifers that are eligible for MSA grading," Annie said.
"It all comes down to what you are aiming for and what's best for your situation."
The Donoghues implement a three-month controlled breeding program starting in early December.
"Ideally, we want all our calves on the ground by Christmas," Annie said.
"We aim to maintain a 50 to 75 percent Bos Indicus base infused with various British and European breeds, including Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Simmental and Blonde D'Aquitaine.
"The Bos Indicus content is very important for us to maintain due to the efficiencies in management associated with these cattle in our environment."
Calves are branded and vaccinated at the first muster in December/January, with the steer portion implanted with a 200-day oestrogen implant.
Weaning typically occurs in April/ May but is dependent on seasonal conditions.
In poor seasons, early weaned calves receive a partial grain supplement until they achieve 150kg liveweight, a critical weight for full rumen function.
"In some seasons, weaners may be assisted until they achieve 200kg liveweight, a weight we see as critical for weaners to reach prior to their first winter," she says.
Steers are then re-implanted with a 400-day oestrogen implant in August/September.
"We prefer to implant just before the season breaks so our cattle can make the most of our peak pastures and a 400-day implant takes them right through to two years of age," she says.
"We use Compudose because it's a proven product and it delivers consistent results.
"Its big advantage is that it's a slow-release formulation, so we can be sure it's paying out above the threshold level when we have our peak pasture.
"A short-acting implant is not as beneficial for us because of the time and managerial cost of implanting every 100 days."
Steers receive a third and final implant in September, either a 200 or a 400-day formulation depending on their individual weight and anticipated time to turn-off.
All breeders have access to a loose lick throughout the dry season, which combined with strategic weaning, helps to maintain adequate body condition scores to assist current and future pregnancies. Last year, 1200 heifers were artificially inseminated as part of a genetic improvement program.
"We've used AI for years to introduce beneficial genetics into our herd, plus it provides an ideal opportunity for more intense handling of our heifers," Annie says.
Annie's parents, Richard and Elizabeth Wilson, built Banana Station into one of the largest beef enterprises in Central Queensland over the past four decades.
"About three and a half years ago, we had the opportunity to take on more responsibility for a number of family properties," she says.
"Rob and I benefit from the autonomy of running our own business, whilst still receiving invaluable support and guidance from our family.
"Dad's philosophy was to run things as efficiently and as successfully as he could - no fads, no fancies.
"His aim still stands true today - to produce the most productive cattle at the least cost by selection for growth, reproduction and carcase traits measured objectively under commercial conditions.
"I'd like to think we're continuing this tradition at Barranga."
