A dry year isn’t affecting the quality of the animals produced at Wyagdon Angus.
The 263-hectare property, located 30 kilometres north of Bathurst, had received 224 millimetres of rain in the first six months of 2017. But according to owner Richard Baillie, who has co-owned the property with his wife Jan since 2000, cattle are calving at the moment and they are doing well.
A Wyagdon Angus steer placed first out of 40 steers in the virtual taste test competition of the heavyweight open steer carcase class at the Sydney Royal Show this year. The carcase was bought by Wingham Beef Exports for more than $2100.
Mr Baillie is quick to credit his seed stock producer Booroomooka Angus, Bingara, stock agent Scott Johnson at Masters Stephens and Company, Bathurst, and Mel who assists with animal husbandry, as helpers with the operation.
The Baillies run up to 250 head of cattle and are running 180 at the moment.
The Baillies source their genetics from Booroomooka, owned by the Munro family. Mr Baillie particularly looks for growth, carcase and marbling.
In the lead up to joining, Mr Baillie leaves it to Booromooka to supply the bulls in a good condition and aims to get his heifers to 350kg by spring.
Birthweights average 35kg, but Mr Baillie is mostly concerned with growth.
“My target weight varies according to season; sometimes I run to finishing at a 550kg plus mark,” he said.
Mr Baillie likes to have his calves grow during spring as he finds that time produces the rising plane of nutrition.
The age weaners are sold at varies.
“Generally weaners will go in the autumn, but sometimes I can get them through to the following spring and sell as finished cattle at a processor. Then they will be at 550kg,” he said.
Mr Baillie uses a finishing paddock of forage oats, tests his soil and limes where necessary.
He relies on his stock agent to assist with marketing his calves.
This year, Mr Baillie will sell his stock to a feedlot or backgrounder.
Mr Baillie particularly likes receiving the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading for his stock from the processors.
“When I sell cattle as weaners and back rounders, that does not happen,” he said. “But I think that data is valuable to a small producer, like myself. It helps me understand if my stock’s genetics and my animal husbandry are improving.”
At 72, Mr Baillie has no intention of stopping.
“For me, my future plans are focusing on continually improving in everything I do on the farm,” he said.