ANGUS cattle breeders Peter and Annick Butterfield are setting new goals in bull production.

The couple sell genuine 11-month-old weaned bulls weighing in at an impressive 500kg and with just five to 10mm of rump fat.

    AT A GLANCE
  • Who: Peter and Annick Butterfield
  • What: beef
  • Why: young bulls buck the trend
  • Where: Warrenbayne, Victoria
  • Report: KIM WOODS

The concept of selling bulls as yearlings is popular in the US but is not the norm in Australia.

Most British-breed bulls are sold at 15 months to two years of age.

Using a bull as a yearling can extend its working life beyond the average four to five years.

With limited land, the Butterfields, of prime Angus at Warrenbayne, east of Benalla, had to either custom-feed their sale bulls or turn them off shortly after weaning.

They tentatively tried the yearling bull concept four years ago and found ready acceptance among commercial producers.

Buyers quickly realised they could reduce their costs per calf via the bull's extended working life.

Peter said producers were also able to obtain the latest genetics at affordable prices.

This year, the couple sold 22 11-month bulls at their annual on-property stud sale.

Peter said using superior bulls as young as possible improved the rate of genetic progress.

They also settled easily into their new environment and were easier to handle than mature bulls.

But, according to Peter, they do need careful management in the first year as they continue to grow.

"With good management, we suggest the bulls be used over no more than 20-25 females by mid-May," Peter said.

"While most producers choose to use them over heifers, they are capable of serving mature cows."

Weaned in mid December, the bulls are fed silage and a pellet ration rising to 3.5kg a day.

The Butterfields aim for a February sale day liveweight average of 500kg, with five to 10mm of rump fat at 11 months of age.

Each bull is ultrasound-scanned, independently structurally assessed, drenched, vaccinated, treated with Piliguard (pink eye) and has its testicles palpated.

They are also DNA-tested for arthrogryposis multiplex and neuropathic hydroencephalopathy.

"Weaning late is against the trend but the cows handle it well," Peter said.

"In this higher-rainfall zone we often get a green pick up until Christmas, allowing the calves to wean at heavier weights.

"We get our best weight gains on silage regrowth grazing in November."

Peter, a qualified veterinarian, and Annick, an occupational therapist, moved from the NSW Hunter Valley to Victoria's North East in 1992.

Warrenbayne was close to Annick's family in Melbourne and had a secure rainfall and productive land.

The couple bought their 175ha property as an operating dryland dairy and for the next eight years milked 120 cows until dairy deregulation convinced them to move into beef cattle.

The first registered Angus females were bought in 2000, with the idea of selling a handful of bulls at multi-vendor sales.

But they ended up selling bulls aged 15-18 months privately to neighbouring commercial herds.

Today, the herd comprises 130 registered cows, with the top end of the artificially-inseminated-bred male calves sold as bulls.

About 40 steers are sold each March and this year they weighed 414kg at 11 months.

The couple's last consignment of autumn-drop steers at Wodonga weighed 496kg and sold for $872 or 175c/kg.

Annick said the steers proved size and weight gain could be achieved in Angus cattle without European infusion.

"When we select heifers, they must be in the top 20 per cent for 600-day weight and long-fed index," Annick said.

"They are joined from March 1 to calve at two years of age. We don't carry over empties (at pregnancy testing). Nothing has a second chance.

"Young heifers are artificially inseminated twice and then run with the back-up bull for a month to give a seven-week calving pattern."

Peter said the target mating weight for heifers was 370kg on a rising plane of nutrition.

After joining, the herd is run in two mobs and rotationally grazed on phalaris, ryegrass and sub-clover pastures.

The pastures are grazed hard in spring and 40ha is locked up for silage.

"We cut the silage as early as we can when plant quality is high," Peter said.

The herd is bovine Johne's Disease monitored negative three status and has been closed to outside cattle since 2003.

Peter prefers not to semen-test the yearling bulls, as results can be variable at such a young age.

Bulls are culled on a minimal scrotal circumference of 30cm at 11 months of age.

They are also frame-scored and selected on structural soundness.

"Our clients understand yearling bulls are to be used lightly in their first year and to be regarded as a long-term proposition," Peter said.

"Young bulls will work quite happily but not in a large number of females."