SPRING BREEDING SEASON IS UPON US
As the spring progresses and the dry is upon us, the breeding season presents plenty of challenges. For all producers stud and commercial, the important decisions are which females to keep and which to cull. These decisions need to be made as early as possible, given the spring is not likely to deliver even 50% of our 'normal' dry matter.
Most people are making these decisions now. Working out feed budgets to carry the core herd through, arranging to buy pellets, canola silage or hay, or planning to buy cereal hay. We shall not be making any hay ourselves this year and have already lined up 1,000 tonnes of cereal and canola hay for the cowherd. Younger stock will be fed on higher energy and protein rations, when the need arises.
So what is the opportunity?
Interestingly the dairy industry is very focussed on culling the poor performers. The key selection index is the Balanced Performance Index in the dairy industry and those herds that have Australian Breeding Values and genomics measurements on their cows are making careful selection decisions.
In commercial beef herds there is unlikely to be the data available to cull on performance. The opportunity for culling decisions are then based on average day of conception (how quickly the cow or heifer got pregnant) and other free traits such as structure, docility and maturity pattern.
We have a small number of proven bulls available from the Rennylea Semen Sires page, plus two new young, calving ease sires. Please ring Bryan (0429 038993), Lucinda(0409 038993) or Ruth (0400 032629) for further information.
**Click here For 2018 Summer Newsletter
