McKenzies claim fourth grand slam

Respected Droughtmaster breeder Mr McKenzie, Yaralla, Blackwater, and his wife Kerry were shocked but delighted to claim their fourth grand championship victory at a Beef Australia expo on Monday.

Their grand champion pen was also the grand champion grainfed pen. It comprised of 10 purebred Droughtmasters, milk-tooth, with an average weight of 546kg, coming off 128 days on feed at the Donavon family’s Duaringa Feedlot.

The steers sold for 330c a kilogram to return $1800 a head, selling to Teys Australia, Lakes Creek.

So what is the McKenzies' winning formula? Mr McKenzie said it was a combination of three aspects.

“We have always believed in having a solid cow herd, without any tail, and the breeders run on the family’s Duaringa breeding property Pearl Creek," he said.

“The weaners generally average about 280kg when weaned, and we move them back to Yaralla for backgrounding and growing out.

“Once on Yaralla, so long as there are no setbacks (season-wise), we look after them as best we can.

“But the third ingredient is the feeding regime at Duaringa Station Feedlot.

“They are fed a combination of wheat, silage and corn - and it is the best, and all grown on black soil flats at Duaringa Station.”

Mr McKenzie said the winning steers were predominately by home-bred sires, while other sires influencing the steers were Hamadra, Medway and Needmor Droughtmaster bloodlines.