The Australian beef industry undoubtedly offers plenty in the school of hard knocks department but those in the game have learnt adaptability and tenacity as a source of survival.
Jim and Janet Curran, Warwick Park, Middlemount, are a good example.
They believed their breeding operation had room for improvement and looked for alternate genetics to meet their targets.
In a move many are beginning to see as profitable, the Currans invested in Speckle Park sires to join with their 800 head Charbray breeding herd and the results are speaking for themselves.
Finished bullocks from Warwick Park are marketed through the Gracemere sale- a business decision Mr Curran said was based on previous experiences with selling direct to processors.
Mr Curran said he was mostly pleased with carcase results from his straight Charbray article but noticed the cattle sometimes missed the mark in fat depth and dentition specifications.
“There was a notable number of outliers when it came to meeting the kill grid and we worked out we could make about 40c/kg more selling through the saleyard, even with commission and selling fees,” Mr Curran said.
The decision to trial Speckle Park bulls was not based purely on a desire to return to a direct to processor marketing system, although Mr Curran confirmed this may be possible given results from Speckle Park genetics.
“Our main objective was to increase our capacity for meat production and Speckle Parks tick a lot of boxes in that category,” he said.
“I read about Canadian Speckle Park cattle in 2012 and became familiar with their yield figures.
“They (Speckle Parks) originated from Shorthorn and Angus genetics- both breeds known for their thickness, depth and do-ability, which was ultimately what we wanted to improve.”
Despite being a relatively young breed, Speckle Parks have welcomed huge success in carcase classes at the Calgary Stampede- a fact Mr Curran said more and more beef producers were noticing.
“There are more Speckles in Central Queensland than you’d think and they’re definitely creeping further into this area.
“I know of mobs at Mackay, Emerald and Dingo and while they’re not here in huge numbers the fact they’re here at all speaks volumes for the breed.”
Mr Curran said his financial bottom line was also the proverbial bottom line for his business and Speckle Parks had improved his operation in the two years since the breed was introduced at Warwick Park.
“It stands to reason that if our cattle achieve better results on the floor we’ll see a big difference in what we’re being paid.
“Speckle Park progeny are like their Shorthorn ancestors in terms of pure weight for age and meat cover.
“We recently weaned a mob of Charbray Speckle Park cross calves and they showed great consistency in width across the top line and overall frame size - they were really solid, meaty calves.
“They’ve really upgraded the straight Charbray calves to a point where I had a tough job closing the cradle on them at branding.”
The Curran family operate on 25,000 acres of mostly Brigalow scrub country with Belah, Ironbark and Coolibah.
Mr Curran said Buffel grass was prevalent but gave way to Rhodes grass and some legumes, requiring an Anipro supplement from May during the winter months.
“The seasons have changed, we don’t see decent rainfall until Christmas now so we’ve had to adapt to keep the herd productive.
“The Speckle bulls do it a little tough through winter but they hang on quite well- we don’t give them any special treatment as far as feeding goes as they need to be able to do it alone.”
Mr Curran said he mainly purchased Speckle Park sires from Dale and Belinda Humphries, Wattle Grove Speckle Park Stud, Oberon, NSW.
“I look for a bull that provides all of the basics required in beef production, but a basic bull does not necessarily lack flair.
“I appraise a sire from behind first- he needs to be full through his back into his shoulders, have a strong hip structure, good bone, length and depth, and the icing on the cake- temperament.
“I don’t think twice about buying a bull that looks sideways at me as I’ve spent too much time being chased by wild cattle.”
The Currans have four daughters, two of whom work alongside their parents on the family property.
He said he’s was hopeful the addition of Speckle Parks into the business will continue to provide a sound platform for his family within the broader industry.
“Being a relatively new breed in large scale breeding operations gives Speckle Parks a competitive edge and even a head start.
“As the breed is more widely adopted there is huge scope for marketing campaigns within the breed society and I believe this may be in the pipeline in future.
“There is also opportunity for producers like ourselves to work towards opening niche butcher shops promoting the breed and receiving a premium for quality- it’s an idea that has crossed my mind many a time.”
For now, Mr Curran said it was still early days but he was excited by the progress he was seeing.
“Crossbreeding always offers plenty of promise but it takes a few years to find out if you’ve got the right promise or the wrong promise.
“Right now Speckle Parks are my cup of tea and I’ll be sticking with them for a long time yet.”
