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The proudly Australia-made Belmont Red breed was developed in the early 1960s with a clear focus on fertility, production and survivability, or as Belmont Australia (BA) vice president Robert Sherry put it, "the traits that matter".
BA president Jeanne Seifert said that at the forefront of the growing cultural shift in the Northern beef industry to demand proven data to objectively quantify these traits, the Belmont Red the ultimate choice among the tropical breeds because it was the first, and is the longest, performance recorded breed in Australia.
"Our proven traits of economic importance are critical to the profitability to any modern beef business, and in one complete low-cost, high-return, package, the Belmont Red ticks every box," Mrs Seifert said.
"Take for example the trait of fertility alone, which accounts for 70 per cent of the profitability of a grazing enterprise.
"With a proven 24 per cent higher fertility than Brahmans (CRC), a herd of 1000 Belmont Red breeders for example, has the potential to produce an extra 240 calves per year. With weaners, conservatively worth $900 each in todays market, this potentially equates to an extra $216,000 income annually, from increased female fertility alone."
She said as a sire breed, the Belmont Red has distinct advantages over British, European and Bos Indicus breeds for use in crossbreeding programs.
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"Being the only breed developed in Australia to use the Africander breed from Africa, their genetics are unique compared to any other stabilised composite breed in Australia, in that they aren't based on a Bos Indicus foundation, for example, Santa Gertrudis, Drought Master, Brangus, Charbray etc. This means the Belmont Red is a tropically adapted Bos Taurus which has distinct production advantages and offers a third outcross option to use in Bos Indicus and Bos Taurus cross breeding systems.
"By crossbreeding Belmont Reds with Bos Indicus, breeders can reap the benefit of increased fertility, growth, and meat quality, without compromising environmental adaptability especially resistance to ticks, heat and drought, making them an ideal choice for northern Australia.
"If used with British or European breeds, breeders will gain the benefits of hybrid vigour plus environmental adaptation, while maintaining the high meat quality and fertility traits of a Bos Taurus herd."
Mr Sherry said this high versatility makes the Belmont Red a unique animal.
He said by utilising the Belmont Red a producer will:
- Improve environmental adaptation
- Increase growth rates
- Improve fertility
- Improve market specification compliance
- Reduce costs
- Increase livestock production efficiency to drive overall industry prosperity
"The breeds docility is also well known. Their temperament allows producers to manage more stock with less labour, as well as less calf losses and few dark cutters, which all aids profitability."
Belmont Australia will be at Beef Australia 2021 at cattle site CS48. Animals to be exhibited will be young bulls that will make their way to the Annual Belmont Australia (BA) sale being held on September 6, 2021, at CQLX Gracemere. The 2021 Belmont Australia Sale will see three vendors sell Belmont Red bulls this year, including Greenhills Belmont Reds of Toogoolawah (Paul and Julie Watson), Seifert Belmont Reds of Jandowae (Ian Stark and Jeanne Seifert) and Wahroonga Belmont Reds of Clarke Creek (Robert and Jane Sherry).
As previous vendors at the annual BA sale, the Seifert Belmont Red and Wahroonga Belmont Red studs need no introduction, however Greenhills Belmont Reds will be making their debut offering three well credentialed young bulls.
Stud principal and Belmont Australia councilor, Julie Watson said the Greenhills family stud has been breeding stud Belmont Red stud cattle since the 1980s and have had success in carcase competitions with both pure bred and cross bred cattle over the last few years.
"We put a lot of emphasis on fertility, temperament and tick resistance in our herd and they've responded magnificently with cows consistently producing a calf every year for 13 years, without intervention, and we rarely have to dip in known ticky country," Mrs Watson said.
"Our herd has great temperament which makes management a pleasure. Belmont Red bulls combine well with any other breed and bring these outstanding traits with them."
Mr Sherry said all of the bulls being exhibited at the Beef Australia 2021 site, and later selling at the annual Belmont Australia Sale, are Breedplan recorded for every trait available, and are semen tested for motility and morphology, DNA sire verified, and DNA horn/polled tested. All bulls will be polled/scurred with many being homozygous polled (PP).
"Please come and visit the BA site CS48 at Beef '21, to find out what Belmont Red breeders are in your area, and to get all the data on the bulls we'll be making available at our annual sale. Our members will be only too willing to answer your questions.
"With this information at hand, buyers can have complete confidence in their purchases come sale time."
- Visit the Belmont Red website for more information.