THE Kidman Springs field day was held on August 1 at the Victoria River Research Station, Northern Territory.
During the past five years, a trial was done comparing Senepol/Brahman-crosses with straight-bred Brahman cattle. The trial threw up many interesting results.
The Senepol/Brahman-crosses were more than 10 per cent heavier at weaning (23kg), 10pc heavier at 18 months (32kg), had 12pc more pregnancies for two-year matings, and had achieved 97pc poll or scurred progeny in one generation.
In each year, the average weaning weight of the F1 Senepol-cross first-round weaners was heavier than for the Brahman weaners. At Victoria River Research Station, they were on average more than three years, 23kg heavier, and at Manbulloo the F1 Senepol-crosses were an average of 19kg heavier.
The 2012 weaners from Victoria River - 176 Senepol/Brahman-cross weaners - weighed 230kg, and 193 Brahman weaners weighed 200kg, showing a difference of 15pc.
The Senepol F1 heifers that were bred on Victoria River were on average 22.1kg heavier at weaning and then grew another 5.1kg more than their Brahman counterparts over the following dry season.
Following the cattle through the wet season, the F1 Senepol cattle grew another 15kg heavier than their Bos Indicus contemporary group.
As a result, the F1 Senepol-cross heifers were 45kg heavier at 18 to 20 months, 86 Brahman heifers weighed 281kg, and 41 Senepol-cross females weighed 326kg (16pc higher).
The Senepol F1 steers started 25kg heavier at weaning, and then grew slightly more over the post-weaning period by an additional 7kg over the Brahman control group. As a result, at the end of the post-weaning year, they were on average 32kg heavier than the Brahman steers.
Fat depth at the P8 site was measured, and the fat depths of the two steers were very similar 3.3mm for the Senepol/Brahman-crosses, and 3.7mm for the straight Brahmans, in 2010.
The heifers were mated as two-year-olds, and the Senepol F1 achieved a 94pc pregnancy rate versus an 84pc rate with the straight Bos Indicus.
The majority of Senepol F1 Brahman progeny were polled or scurred.
The original Brahman cows were predominantly a horned herd, and the resulting Senepol progeny recorded 97pc poll or scurred, with 70pc poll and 27pc having some form of scurs in the females, and 53pc and 43pc respectively in the males, from 392 head.
All Senepol genetics were sourced from the 5 Star Senepol Stud in Central Queensland.
