How Bucca Brahmans consistently grade MSA

Equally, targeting higher-end markets where eating quality is paramount, and the premiums that delivers to the farmgate, makes sense to cement ongoing profitability in an increasingly competitive business.

Sandy McCartney says it is absolutely possible for Queensland Brahman cattle to consistently grade Meat Standards Australia and tap into those premiums. It just takes a little know-how and investment in the right areas - namely nutrition of young stock and genetics.

Given Bucca Partnership Brahmans have been making the MSA grade for ten years, and this year their bullocks are averaging a half index point above all the male cattle in the Wide Bay-Burnett region on MyMSA benchmarking, Mr McCartney is worth listening to.

With his wife Jamie, and parents John and Julie, Mr McCartney joins 1300 females annually to both fatten bullocks and produce feeder steers.

Bucca has more than 9000 hectares of land under cattle production, which runs from forest range to wet coastal plains to heavily improved river country in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland.

Bucca Station and Toonboro are the two main properties, with leased country also in the mix.

The McCartney name has been linked to the Brahman breed for close to 80 years. Sandy's grand dad was known as Brahman Bob.

"The high rainfall and parasite burden make Brahmans a necessity here," Sandy McCartney said.

"We have ticks, flies, worms and the Brahmans can handle them all. It's really an animal welfare issue that we run Brahmans here but production-wise they can't be beaten. They will graze all of a paddock, not just the flats."

Grassfed, hormone growth promotant-free European Union accredited bullocks are turned off the improved country while younger steers are sold as feeders.

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Looking after young cattle and targeting a daily 0.6 kilogram weight gain from weaning through to slaughter was the key to good results with MSA grading, Mr McCartney said.

Bucca bullocks are weighed a month before slaughter, with 12 to 14mm fat targetted.

The game-changer, according to Mr McCartney, has been feeding corn and sorghum silage in the paddock to weaners.

"We get heifers to 260kg and steers to 280kg before they go out onto pasture," he said.

"That gives them the right nutritional foundation and also helps train them for feedlots.

"The cost is around $8 a week for weaners and we gain 0.7kg a day during this period, so it well and truly pays for itself."

While marketing Brahman feeder steers is tough going at the moment, Mr McCartney said this focus on weaners, along with achieving the right weight and age, and selling to feedlots where his cattle have a history of performing well, contributed to Bucca's success.

A recent mob of Bucca feeders went to Australian Country Choice's Brisbane Valley feedlot and achieved a daily weight gain of 1.99kg during a feeding period in which more than 1200 millimeters of rain was received.

This gain beat the group's Brahman average by 0.3kg and the overall group average by 0.15kg a day.

"The feedlot manager was very impressed with the steers under the conditions and it makes us very happy seeing our cattle do well on grass and grain," Mr McCartney said.

Bucca's high-grade Brahman females are also in high demand with the family currently not able to produce enough surplus pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers to supply all requests.

On the genetics front, Mr McCartney said there were alot of big bulls around but grain-fattened 'was as far from reality as you can get.'

"We are grassfed producers. I can't stress enough when you are trying to fatten bullocks to grade MSA you must buy your bulls off grass," he said.

The bottom line?

"It's a fallacy that you can't consistently grade MSA with Brahmans and that could be adding up to a lot of missed opportunities for beef producers," Mr McCartney said.

"We are young and paying off debt and so we need to be as profitable as possible and that means chasing premiums.

"A lot of people have gone to crossbreds to get premiums, but they know straight Brahmans would work better on their country.

"It can be done - and quite easily really."