Polled hereford in Australia Home for Wirruna DAFFY

1. WIRRUNA POLL HEREFORDS
Genetics for the commercial beef
producer
Ian Locke
Wirruna Poll Hereford Stud
“Spring Valley” Holbrook NSW 2644

2. Area: 3,560 Acs.
(1,400 effective Ha)
Rainfall: 708 mm winter dominant
(563mm over the 2000’s)
Soils/Landscape: Highly variable ranging from
heavy clay flats to granite based slopes &
rocky hills. 80% arable
Fertility: Naturally acidic and inherently infertile
….but very responsive to fertiliser
& lime inputs
Pastures: “Pastures are the powerhouse”
Mainly improved perennial pastures and
clover

3. Ave
Current Livestock
Enterprise Annual Production DSE %-
No.s
age
200,000+ kg beef cattle 75%
1,200 head
Seedstock Beef Cattle Sell 150+ Poll Hereford
(calve 500 Cows)
Bulls/annum
12,000kg greasy wool 25%
Prime Lamb Flock 3,300 prime lambs
3,700 ewes
(LAMBPRO) (Stores)
Surplus sheep
0 - 400 0-10%
Backgrounding Feeder 0 - 100,000 kg beef cattle
(depending on
Steers (net)
season)

4.  Brief Background
 Established 1949 (63 years)
 3rd generation
 Ceased showing cattle in 1972
 Seedstock Producer of the Year in 1995
 Stud run under commercial stress conditions
 Tightly managed
 Feed for maintenance – not production
 Fully recorded on Breedplan
 Better genetic outcomes for commercial beef producer
 Run in large management groups
 High quality genetic data
 Spring Calving
 Run at stocking rate
 Kg Beef produced/Ha focus

5. 160
Pasture Growth Curve - Holbrook
Pasture Growth Rate (kg DM/Ha)
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
-20 J F M A M J J A S O N D
Months

6. 25
Cow energy requirements
Cow Energy requirments
20
15
10
Weaning
Calving
5
0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Months

7. 160 25
Pasture Growth Curve - Holbrook
Pasture Growth Rate (kg DM/Ha)
140
Cow Energy requirements
20
120
100
15
80
60
Calving
10
Weaning
40
20
5
0
-20 J F M A M J J A S O N D 0
Months

8. THE PRODUCTION SYSTEM
 A Cow Herd Focus
 Litmus test of genetics
 Disciplined Approach to Breeding
 All cattle run under commercial stress conditions
 All cows and heifers joined for 6 weeks only
 All heifers must have a live unassisted calf at 2 years
 All cows must bring a live unassisted calf through to
weaning; every year!
“All cattle that fail these strict fertility hurdles
are culled from the breeding herd – there are
no favourites”

9. GENETICS
 High Level Performance Program
 Long history of selection
 Renown as one of the most well-recorded Hereford
herds using Breedplan (5  rating)
 Over 9,000 recorded cows and 6,000 birthweight
records
 Cattle run and recorded in large management groups
 A leading Hereford herd for genetic gain & genetic
merit ($7 gain/year - Grain-fed $Index)
“A true genetic program, focussed on
breeding, not feeding!”

10. THE PRODUCT
 Commercially focussed sale stock
 Grass-fed bulls – naturally grown
 Not over-fat and prone to early breakdown
 Client friendly Helmsman sale
 Spring and Autumn
 All bulls independently assessed for structure and
breeding soundness
 Breed leading genetics
 2010 born bulls average in the top 10% of the breed for all
$Indices. Top 5% for Grain-fed & Grass-fed $Index
“What you see is what you get!”

11.  Breeding/Mating
 Heifers joined at 14-15 months to calve as 2 year olds
 Tight calving spread – Mate for 6 weeks only
 Cows must also rejoin in a six week period
 Herd structure
 Young in age
 Genetic gain production efficiency  age related problems
 Retain at least 90% of heifers for mating
 Sell cows over 8 years old (in steady state)
 Management
 Screening & selection policies
 A disciplined (but simple) approach – “Cow herd hurdles”
 Cull for fertility – no exceptions and no favourites
 Easy-care cattle
 Easy calving cattle (Management & Genetics) – target <5% dystocia in heifers -
Zero tolerance culling policy
 Non-interventionist - “Bad luck repeats itself”
 Feed efficient – Cope with high stocking rate (“ride the condition score roller-
coaster”)
 Genetics is important!

13. Calving Ease since 1984
Calving Ease Wirruna vs Overall Breed Average
(Direct) EBV
+6.0
Calving Ease (Dir) WPHS
+5.0
Breed Trend - Calving Ease (Dir)
+4.0
+3.0
+2.0
+1.0
+0.0
Calving ease is an important trait that
influences beef herd profitability.
-1.0 Wirruna breed specifically designed heifer
bulls for ease of calving.
-2.0
'84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11
Genetic Trend

14. BENDING THE GROWTH CURVE
EBV (kgs) Comparison of Wirruna Growth EBV's over time
70
WPHS 2010 Moderate
Push early growth 61.9
WPHS 2000 Mature Cow
60 WPHS 1990 Weight
WPHS 1980
50
50 45.8
40
Maintain moderate
birthweights 27.7
30
26.3
24.8
20
17.1
10 10.9
2
0 2.1
Birth 200 day 400 day 600 day Mat cow
Weight growth growth weight weight

15. Progress since 1983 - EMA EBV
+3.5
EMA - WIRRUNA
+3.0 Breed Trend - EMA
+2.5
+2.0
EMA EBV
+1.5
+1.0
+0.5
+0.0
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

16. IMF EBV Genetic Progress - IMF EBV
+0.6
+0.5
IMF% - WIRRUNA
+0.4 Breed Trend - IMF%
+0.3
+0.2
+0.1
+0.0
-0.1
-0.2
-0.3
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

17. COMPARISON OF $INDEX VALUES
Wirruna Sale Bulls vs Overall Breed Average
EBV (kgs)
$120
$99 $98 Top 5% $103
$100
$89 Top 5% $96
$90
Top 5% $90
Top 5% $87
$80
$73
$65 $66
$60
$60
Wirruna Sale Bulls
average in the top Wirruna Sale Bulls
$40
10% of the breed
for $Index Breed Average EBVs
Breed's Top 5%
$20
$0
Supermarket Grass fed Grain Fed EU