RODNEY Johannesen is convinced of the beef-producing ability of the Bazadaise and sees hornedness as the breed's only real fault.
He said dehorning cattle is the worst job on the property, but as a breeder of the strongly horned Bazadaise, it has been unavoidable. So, for 17 years, he has been carefully breeding for polledness in his stud herd.
The Johannesens' Folkslee Bazadaise Stud presented the world's first known polled pure Bazadaise animal, Folkslee Abby-Sylvia, at Beef 2006. Since then her dam, Sylvia 192, has produced the first known polled Bazadaise bull and two more natural polled females, which have produced polled progeny.
The bull, Folkslee Frontier, has sired two bull calves this year with another 18 calves due soon. The two bull calves on the ground both appear to be polled.
Frontier has been genetically tested and is a heterozygous poll, so he still carries the horned gene. The aim of the Johannesen's breeding program is, of course, to produce homozygous polled bulls. Frontier will cover 40 unrelated females this year and soon there will be three polled bulls available to cover the whole Folkslee herd.
In pursuit of their goal they have three unrelated lines of polled cattle that can now be mated, avoiding inbreeding while strengthening the polled gene in the Folkslee herd. The Johannesens expect to have good lines of polled Bazadaise bulls on offer within two or three years and to have an entire polled herd of their own within 10 years.
"We have used the genetic test for pollness and have picked up females with 'weak' horned genes," said Rodney. "This information has helped speed our breeding program."
Rodney and Karen began the Folkslee stud in 1995 using artificial insemination of Santa Gertrudis cows. Running his herd on leased wallum country near Bundaberg Rodney conducted a cross-breeding trial to see if the claims made about the production from Bazadaise were true. Using six to eight other breeds Rodney compared beef yield data and found the Bazadaise-cross consistently gave the best carcase yield. These days he puts around 200 yearlings through their on-site feedlot and records performance data that shows a Bazadaise -cross yearling leaving the feedlot at 400kg full liveweight will dress at 230kg while a 400kg yearling of a different breed will dress at 200kg.
"This is the sort of beef-producing performance that we see from the Bazadaise that makes us certain of the benefits of introducing Bazadaise genetics into commercial herds," Mr Johannesen said.
All the progeny of the commercial herd go through the feedlot for 70 to 80 days on a grain and hay ration. As they reach their target weight they are consigned to a single buyer. "The butcher takes all the animals we can produce and we send a supply most weeks," said Rodney. "The strong early growth, good dressing percentage and high yield of tender meat of the Bazadaise cross makes them the ideal butcher's beast."
Alongside their Bazadaise stud the Johannesens also run a Black Brangus stud. Rodney said the Brangus Bazadaise cross is a very good animal and having the Brangus stud means they can offer bull buyers more options when they visit the stud.
Rodney and Karen bought 720ha Ironie in the foothills of the Burnett Range, south of Biggenden, in 2009 and relocated their cattle. Since then they have been busy working through a property redevelopment plan that includes re-fencing, pasture rejuvenation, regrowth and lantana management and establishing permanent water in all paddocks to reduce the effect of drought on 'Ironie'.
They run 400 head altogether, comprised of 100 registered Bazadaise females, 30 registered Brangus females, commercial breeders, bulls and progeny.
Bazadaise are a French breed originating from the southern, more arid regions. Since their introduction into Australia in 1991 the breed is said to have proven itself in a range of climates, including the Northern Territory. Rodney said they are well-known for their ability to finish well on grass or grain, excellent meat yield, quiet temperament and ease of calving.
The open day and sale at Folkslee attracted 42 visitors to inspect the offering of four Black Brangus bulls, 16 Bazadaise bulls and eight Bazadaise females, many with a calf at foot, and trade displays from Ag Solutions and Wide Bay Motorcycles. All lots were catalogued with a sale price.