FOR Ross Rideout, Ballee, Mt Larcom, the Teys Duaringa Producer Workshop provided a chance to get a firsthand look at DEXA – and do away with some preconceived misconceptions.
Mr Rideout said he came along to hear what the company had to say about the introduction of DEXA to the Teys Lakes Creek facility in November.
With plenty of information on offer, and the DEXA machine at the site for producers to take a look at, Mr Rideout said it cleared up his thoughts on the technology.
“You can read everything about this big change - but I think it’s just a progression,” he said.
“Cattle are still cattle, you’ve still got to be trying to breed good cattle - it’s meat at the end of the day.”
Mr Rideout believed producers would “have to” take on-board results from the scans when considering their management options.
“Well at the end of it we have to make money,” he said.
“If you’re not getting somewhere towards the good end of it you’d have to look at what you’re doing wrong.”
As a whole, Mr Rideout believed the industry is managing things right already, and said he felt potentially the biggest impacts from DEXA scanning would be felt in the grassfed industry.
With grassfed producers relying strongly on the seasons, he said it would be telling as to how those producers manage dry times and still see good results through DEXA.
”I suppose it could be the biggest advancement in having to really think about your cattle more, and probably your pastures,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter what cattle you’ve got when it comes to the seasons and how you get them through dry times.”
Mr Rideout operates as part of a family partnership, and runs the secondary property.
He runs 250 breeders in his Droughtmaster Brahman cross herd, and fattens cull heifers from the main property, which runs about 2000 head of Droughtmaster, Santa Gertrudis, and Brahman cattle.
He operates alongside his wife, Paula Rideout.
Kelly Butterworth
Rockhampton-based journalist covering all things ag.
Rockhampton-based journalist covering all things ag.
