Patterson's Bottle Tree Downs looks to capitalise on favourable season and markets bullocks for the first time in years

Favourable seasonal conditions have created excellent feed in the region, allowing Tim and Trina Patterson to hold off from selling their feeder steers and to finish them off as bullocks, becoming more aligned with current market trends.

"The last few years, our cattle operation has been a self-replacing breeder herd that turns of feeder steers, just because we haven't had the feed to cut them out as bullocks," Mr Patterson said.

"This year, it's looking like we'll probably have a bit more room and feed, with our oats, forage sorghum and buffel country looking great, so we'll probably hold on to them and sell them through to meatworks bullocks.

"We backed away from grass finishing our steers, just because of the past couple of dry seasons we've endured and have gone mostly feeder steers, straight into the feedlot market.

"However, the great season we've had has given us a bit more flexibility and more room for breeders in the paddock."

Tim and Trina Patterson along with their children Alenna, Sarah, and Lochlan run the Broadleaf Santa Gertrudis stud at Bottle Tree Downs near Rolleston.

Established in 2004, their beef venture began from grading up cows from their family's commercial herd, as well as the purchase of stud cows from other studs as the opportunity arose.

The family runs 200 cows in their stud herd as well as 400 commercial breeders on Bottle Tree Downs.

They first introduced Santa Gertrudis cattle into their commercial herd in 1984 by establishing a small herd of cows to breed bulls

In the Broadleaf stud, genetics from the Gyranda, Rosevale, Greenup, Rowanlea, Glencol, Yarrawonga/Waco, Pinaroo, Cooinda, and Cree studs can be found in the pedigrees of their cattle.

Bottle Tree Downs is predominantly Brigalow/softwood scrub country with buffel grass being the main pasture.

The Pattersons aim to produce commercially aligned, environmentally adapted cattle.

"We rotation graze our cattle and most of our paddocks have three sires in them," Mr Patterson said.

"The bulls will stay with the cows for about four months and we join in November and pull them out at the end February into March, depending on the season."

Mr Patterson said he could see benefits in finishing bullocks.

"If we sell our steers early, we've got to turn around and find something to replace them, where as we can leave them in the paddock and increase value anyway," he said.

"It's where we'd like to be in the long run, to supply the meatworks or Jap Ox market."

Livestock agent Greg Hardgrave, CRT Country Co, Blackwater, sold a run of No.1 Santa steers, weighing 456kg, on behalf of the Pattersons back in November 2022.

The quality line made 492c/kg to return a solid result of $2244 a head.

Mr Hardgrave said producers should take advantage of the seasonal conditions.

"Now that feeder steers have sort of come back somewhat in price, as compared to last year, people can see value in adding more weight and going towards the meatworks or Jap Ox market," he said.

"It's not clear and defined as yet, because the jury's still out on the season, although it has been very good."

Mr Hardgrave said producers were making market decisions based on the seasonal conditions.

"When your season is good like what we've got at the moment, people tend to be a fair bit more uniform and they try to put on as many kilos on their cattle as they can," he said.

"The gap between a feeder steer and a bullock finisher was a lot bigger last year, where as the gap is a lot closer now.

"If they've got plenty of feed in the paddocks, then it's a good opportunity to get more weight on the cattle."

Mr Hardgrave said there had been plenty of confidence with restockers so far this season.

"We're finding there is a lot of restockers about and now that the market has sort of corrected a bit to try and skew young cattle to accommodate the grass," he said.

"When you've got a great season in hand, you've got to try and capitalise on it."

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