hornery-water

FAREWELL PAPFH1144 – TRELINGA H212 (AI)

Wed, 31 May 2023 01:13:33 GMT

PAPFH1144 was purchased by Bar H Grazing from Trelinga’s David Peak as a twelve-month-old weaner bull at the end of 2013. He was purchased for his genetic makeup – a heavy maternal cow base being 40/1, over Haruki 2, over Kikuhana – all of that complemented by TF148 who consistently allows his females foundations to perform, the way they’re meant to.

Unfortunately, at the beginning of this year we lost PAPFH1144 at a young age due to snake bite, with only limited semen in the tank. This considered, we have had to significantly reduce his semen offerings. We are fortunate enough to have 103 direct and 44 indirect active breeders sired by H1144 and we will continue to offer sons and daughters of his and their progeny via private bull sales and our annual female auctions.

Below, we delve into the variety of qualities that H1144 has bought to the Bar H Herd.

What we recognise from this carcass data, is that he consistently picks up where the animals he’s joined to fall down. Which is evident in his cross bred vs. full blood data – this is exactly what we look for in a northern production focussed foundation bull among the Bar H Grazing herd – a bull with balance. His yield from live to carcass for his direct progeny is 56% for CB & PB, and 57% for FB. The data also reflects a preferred female status, with a good weaning weight and small mature cow weight.

An example of a recently killed terminal animal that we received valuable carcass feedback for is Q5100. Refer to the below pedigree and data to see the sort of joins that H1144 works in and how he complemented this cow and data set.

PAPFH1144 continues to provide a strong foundation for cows in our herd, as a paddock bull he maintains a 79% conception rate among multi-sire groups. Among his semen collections he consistently maintained a 91% normal morphology – and since we have been testing the morphology in all our yearling bulls for the purposes of stud and seed stock breeding decisions, yearling bulls he’s sired continue to perform among these principles also.

We are grateful to have been home to such a personable bull – who has certainly made his mark on our herd. We will continue to use him in the BHG herd, and we are excited to see what more his progeny can do!

Farewell to the cheeky 1144.

The difference between Value & Progress – A marathon runner V.S. The businessman

Wed, 31 May 2023 01:01:38 GMT

Do y ou review the success of your business? How do you review the success of your business? What are your key parameters?

In a world where monetary value is significantly weighted as the key indicator of success, it can sometimes become difficult to remind ourselves that progress comes before value. It is important for us as cattle producers, businesspeople, as well as parents and friends to learn how to measure key indicators of progress.

Let’s divert from business here for a moment to talk about running.

To improve, runners consistently review their performance as a whole and then analyse all categories that amount to their success and track them on an individual basis. What may not have been their fastest time, may just be their best run. Their heart rate might have been down, recovery better, and splits more even. From this data, they avoid becoming complacent, they stress test their body – they build their capabilities at speed, distance, elevation and in different climates.

Going into race day, they are aware of the limitations of their own body – they know how to pre-empt and manage each situation as it unfolds, allowing for a completed race at a competitive time. Whilst tracking of performance is mostly used to pinpoint weak points – it can help as a gentle reminder of where you started and the journey you have taken to get to where you are.

Just like marathon runners, we need to learn to analyse parts of our business outside of the overdraft and know to think proactively rather than reactively. The progress of our businesses and of ourselves are the key indicators of success and is not something you can achieve without progressive forethought.

In business, we are thrown curve balls - droughts, fires, market crashes – these moments impact us financially and can often make it feel like we have fallen down the ladder back to square one. Before you feel too defeated, ask yourself this:

Are my goals and vision having steps taken to be somewhat accomplished?
Have we gained access to new, better-quality markets due to our cattle or grain development?
Is our average employee retention rate higher?
Has the infrastructure on my property improved in the last 12 months?
How is the welfare of the animals on my property?
Are my employees, family, and myself happy?
If I don’t have an answer to the unexpected challenges my business may face in the next 12-24 months, do I have an immediate action plan in place?

What does success look like to you? It takes money to achieve these goals, however as the market rides the waves that the market eventually does, this is your opportunity to ask yourself;

Am I most accurately measuring the progress of my business?
What are my key parameters of success?
Am I going to leave my property or business in a place that I can be proud for the next generation to move forward with.

The value of your business does not necessarily indicate your progress – and there is nothing better than being able to finish a marathon or end the financial year knowing, given every challenge I was thrown, I handled that in a way I can be proud.

DNA & REGISTRATIONS – Where to start.

Wed, 31 May 2023 00:56:59 GMT

As a business we receive a lot of questions from other Wagyu producers about how they go about taking the next step to submitting DNA and registering cattle. The first thing that we tell them is;

GET YOUR RECORDING RIGHT

When collecting DNA, mixing up hair or TSU samples is easily done and hard to undo.
A really good tip is the Allflex TSU/NLIS bundles – order your bubble packs so that the TSU runs in correlation with the NLIS tags. If you are concerned, the AWA are only a phone call away, to make sure you get it right the first time, based upon what you are trying to achieve they will make sure you get what you need not what you think you might need.
It becomes so much more expensive to have to re-test animals because you have been rushed and not done it correctly. You are much better off getting it right the first time.

Find a procedure crush side and stick with it.
Tailor your operational planning and prepare your staff for branding to take longer than usual, so that it will run seamlessly without distraction.

I spoke with Natalie Poole a Member Services Officer from the Australian Wagyu Association about this and some major misconceptions she experiences with producers DNA testing. Something that is often confused when writing your DNA request is:

Creating the ID’s – how to build the actual ID and why to build it that way.

To start you put your three-letter herd ident, for instance BAR.
Then you put the expected grade of the animal, go with ‘C’ for anything you expect to be a content animal, then ‘P’ or ‘F’ for a purebred/fullblood.
Year code next – this is vital for PVs as this is currently where the animals birth year is pulled from so that the animal is not analysed against animals as potential parents within the same birth year or younger than itself.
Put the calves number ident at the end. For example, BAR (3 letter herd ident), F (expected grade), 23U (year letter), 5000 (drop number) – BARF23U5000
Do not get hung up on the expected grade detail – put something it’s most likely to be – it does not have to be correct.
Building the ident this way ensures that animals have a unique identification that will avoid having a duplicate.

You don’t have to be a full member to submit DNA through the AWA, however you do need to be an associate to avoid a 20% fee.
To get your cattle genetic condition tested, the optimal and cheapest way to do it is by requesting a bundle on your first round of testing. Genetic conditions can be tested later, but the cost will be more.
Testing on a Genomic SNP (50,000 – 100,000 markers) will allow you to have Genomically influenced EBVs, however If you test on a parentage SNP (500 markers), you can only receive results for Parent Verification.
However, cattle can be registered on a MIP or SNP.
Parent verification (PV) and parent discovery (PD) are two different things:
PV is where the identified calf is verified to a nominated sire and dam, which is generally the hair/ TSU sample you submit after branding.
PD is where the identified calf is analysed against all animals with a SNP genotype. PD is used if the animal hasn’t verified to the nominated parents, or no parents were nominated at the time of DNA request – this is done via a DNA request also, and unless something is wrong with the original sample does not require another one.

REGISTRATIONS

To submit registrations, you need to be a full member.
From a commercial standpoint, slaughter registering is a highly undervalued tool. It’s a great tool for producers, to register animals that you are bound to slaughter – and you are only paying for your DNA testing. Data can come back into the system seamlessly – and if you are slaughter registering F1 cattle, the carcass data can link back to the sires.
Don’t send your animals in for registration unless they have been DNA tested. If they’ve been tested on a Genomic SNP then make sure once they’re registered, genomics has been observed. This means their entire pedigree has been analysed and that their Genomic SNP has been used to influence the EBVs. If they haven’t been and you need them to be, then contact the AWA because there’s a reason why.

IMPORTANT LINK – THE AWA MEMBER RESOURCES WEBPAGE

https://www.wagyu.org.au/for-members/forms-and-guides

This includes:

The AWA Member Handbook (Australian)
The AWA Fee Schedule (2023)
Australian Animal Registration Form
DNA Forms

2022 Year In Review

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 22:21:50 GMT

2022 at Bar H Grazing was a significant year for the team and business. It saw the crew move from strength to strength and focus on establishing a strong foundation for years to follow. It was a year dedicated to the future of the business – seeing multiple projects that have been in the pipeline come to fruition and pave the way forward for years to follow.

This newsletter celebrates the one-year anniversary of the ‘Bar H Grazing Seasonal Newsletter’, which we believe reflects the focus of the business.

As a team we,

Improved the River Lea infrastructure significantly
Split Paddocks
Added several new coolers and lane ways
Put in new troughs and water points
Built several new sheds
Planted River Lea’s first crop of Oats
Enhanced the Artificial Breeding programs at River Lea
Held 5 fixed time AI programs
Held 3 IVF programs
Held 2 embryo programs
Hosted 2 female Auctions – selling a total of 535 females to several different purchasers around the country
Purchased SPWFR153 Sahara Park All Bets Black from Sahara Park Wagyu at the 2022 AWA Elite Wagyu Sale
We successfully sold 83 Full Blood Sires and executed multiple lease agreements
Received carcass data back on 615 animals – all of which are under ongoing analysis
Significantly grew the team at River Lea, welcoming several new faces as permanent and contracting staff
Finalised 3D mapping the River Lea property
Attended the 2022 RNA Paddock to Plate event, where we won first place in the Class 39 Taste Off, and won the Class 39 Reserve Champion Carcass
Were apart of Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn – in partnership with CHDC
Said Farewell to HAWFC0567 – at 15.5 years old, the gentleman of River Lea passed away
Said Farewell to the property Horse Creek – home to where the Hornery family first started breeding Wagyu

2022 set a standard for 2023, what was extraordinary last year will be ordinary this year. We as a team at Bar H Grazing are excited to build upon the hard work from last year, with a number of exciting projects already in the pipeline, and we can’t wait to share our journey into the New Year.

Dedicated Workers: The Role of Dogs and Horses at Bar H

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 22:13:45 GMT

If you take a drive through River Lea during a muster, odds are you will see dogs working with our operations team on horseback, getting the job done. I sat down with our Operations Supervisor Andrew Jansen to talk about why we use this tried and true method of working dogs and horses and the benefits that we reap from this combination.

“For the 13 years I have been working here, we have always used dogs and it shows in the herds temperament and manners” AJ said. “There are many reasons beyond reducing staff numbers that we use dogs. They have an element of eliminating risks on the job, they can position themselves faster, they’re stable on the terrain and can get to pressure points quickly in a quiet manner. It’s more than just being able to send one person out with a dog because a good dog can read and handle cattle as good or better than any stockman” he explained. The ability to settle and herd cattle in a low stress manner means the cattle are likely to arrive at the yards in a calm, positive mind frame resulting in an easier work environment for both animal and person.

Not only are dogs a fantastic work tool, but their skills translate into recreational activities that are an asset to both the dog and handler. AJ has been involved in dog trialing since 2019 and sees how rewarding the training process is for the handler and their daily operation. “Dogs are a man’s best friend and bringing your best friend to work is really rewarding and satisfying. An uncontrolled dog is nothing but upsetting. Putting in the groundwork, time and effort reflects on the stock handler to a higher level and the higher level of stockmanship on the cattle reflects their performance in the yards.”

Alongside our handy canine companions, horses play a massive role in operations at Bar H to maintain a placid environment for our cattle. “You can do every job here on a horse, teamed up with dogs that combination can work well on all types of stock. Stress affects things like reproduction, safety, shrinkage and if we can get the cattle on the truck or to the yards composed, we’re going to see better results.” There’s a lot to gain as an employee working with horses, creating a positive flow on effect for the operation as a whole. “I think horses bring job satisfaction and a happy worker is a productive worker.” AJ continues, “Horses automatically encourage a slower approach and a more harmonious way of moving cattle. It gives you the time to take in the elements and safely look around. Horses work with you too; they’ll notice things and so will dogs that we ourselves might miss.” It could be argued that motorbikes are a more convenient option, but here on River Lea, we have smaller paddock sizes and the blade plough country is simply not suited to bike power. “Tasks like mothering up and cutting out calves isn’t impossible on a bike, but I would argue that slow and correct beats fast and wrong every time, and horses fit that mold for us.”

This traditional method of stockmanship isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, AJ believes. “Horses is the one thing we got right, right from the start. I see today’s horse and dog industry only getting stronger, you can see the proof in the growth of the dog and horse sales, displaying that these methods are practical and beneficial. It brings financial backing to the choice rather than it being just a personal preference.” Modern additions like choppers and drones to a mustering team are an exciting advantage to utilize but a strong ground crew is still necessary. “Even with aerial observation you still need boots on the ground, you can’t get away from the use of horses and dogs.”

“Herd mentality is 101 and it’s what we strive to achieve. The combination of horses and dogs is yet to be beaten and outperformed. The gentle and positive nature they bring on the herd is priceless, because a happy cow is a healthy cow, and healthy cattle produce.”

Morphology – We Think it Matters

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 22:05:28 GMT

Morphology is a multipurpose tool that provides a variety of benefits to suit the individual needs of your enterprise. A motility score is a familiar semen test and provides some related information however morphology represents a very important part of a bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE) (Australian Cattle Vets Association , 2013). A morphology report will present a number of sperm defects in a sample of 100 sperm that you can start to create patterns between based on the bull’s environment and lineage.

At Bar H we are using morphology information to do the following;

Delegating and separating our bulls into more appropriate mobs for better conception rates (single sire and multi sire herds)
Semen and bull sales quality assurance
Judging stress adaptation
Understanding hereditary defects
Making culling decisions more confidently

If you are morphology testing for semen or bull sales it is a small price to pay to give the product integrity. It seems like a large cost however it eliminates variability and provides quality assurance – this makes us more confident in our product and further stabilises our business relationships.

For our own breeding purposes, we can create and interpret patterns of nutrition and stress adaptation – given that when an animal is under stress, their fertility is the first thing to be compromised. This helps us make better bull replacement decisions, for example we had two embryo brothers who had been handled exactly the same since birth, one of them tested as a qualify and the other got a tick – this helped us better understand who would most appropriately fit into our operation as a single sire herd bull.

Jane Armstrong from Insight Repro speaks passionately about this, and explains that if morphology testing is done consistently, you can start to establish patterns between the different sorts of genetics being used – this will allow you to make better management decisions, however it is just one element of what needs to be considered. For example; if you have an alpha male with average morphology who breeds primarily terminal cattle, and you decide to put him with a better morphology bull who has less of a pack mentality – it may defeat the purpose of you having bulls morph tested if the alpha male doesn’t let the other bull have a go.

In a commercial operation, the following example may be applicable;

Say it costs you $75 per bull not including travel to get it’s morphology tested.
Your budget allocates for $60,000 a year to replace your paddock bulls.
If you spend $2000 a year to have a complete semen analysis of your existing bulls, you can save $58 000 by not having to replace your bulls, because you were able to better understand them and where they need to be placed to achieve maximum conception.

Morphology testing is providing our team with fresh data that we are able to break down and cultivate fresh information from, which in turn is helping us become better breeders, graziers, and business people.

References

Australian Cattle Vets Association . (2013). Morphological Examination of Sperm . In A. C. Association, Vetinary Bull Breeding Soundness Evaluation (pp. 74-94). Eight Mile Plains : Australian Cattle Veterinarians.

Blackwood, D. C. (2018, March 26). Fertility Testing Bulls . Retrieved from Warrnambool Veterinary : https://wvc.com.au/fertility-testing-bulls/

The method to choosing your recipient cattle…

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 04:15:41 GMT

Recipient cattle used in embryo transfer programs, vary from herd to herd and can be difficult to calculate. The appropriate sorts of recipient cattle in our herd differ, and their importance is significant, in some opinions more than donor cattle, since this is the animal that’s required to conceive the embryo, carry it to full term, and raise the calves (Lamb & Mercadante, 2017).

The process of choosing recipients can be treated the same as selecting high quality replacement heifers. They need to be fertile, structurally sound, and have zero abnormalities as far as their reproductive structure goes. This can be estimated by a critical judgement of their entire body condition – for instance making sure they have good teeth and eyes, are less than 8 years of age, a good udder, and a healthy mature cow weight.

The Colorado State Universities Journal on ‘Applications of Embryo Transfer and Related Technologies to Cattle’ notes that a common mistake that farmers make is buying outside recipient cattle that often compromise herd health and the herds genetics. However, if it is more profitable for your herd to do this, then make sure of the following:

The animals have a vaccination history that suits your production guide
They have been checked by a vet to ensure their reproductive and general health
They will remain to add value to your herd as breeders as well as embryo recipients
Purchasing lactating animals that have a healthy calf on them at the time of implant is the most accurate way of proving the recipients’ maternal traits, especially her ability to raise a strong, healthy calf.

According to countless resources, highest fertility occurs in herds where the infrastructure and management practises allows for a low stress environment. By using animals within our own herd, we like to make sure they’re climatised to the people, gateways, grasses, and water (JR, 1984).

"A recipient animal from one of our recent embryo flush and transfer programs earlier this year – chosen based upon her previous calving history, structural soundness, milk and fertility."

Traditionally we have used all kinds of Wagyu content animals as recipients, crossbreds have not necessarily been the obvious recipient choice. If there is an animal failing to provide sufficient carcass data, but continues to grow a healthy animal, then we can add value to that cow by planting an embryo in them and having them grow a more genetically valuable calf. With the crossbred animals we run, some of them are more valuable to us as donors or AI animals than as ET recipients. It comes down to an analysis of each possible recipient and deciding where they can be most profitable in the herd.

The success of a recipient in an embryo transfer program rearing a highly important calf to weaning, with a strong foundation to go on and perform is significant. Every time an embryo doesn’t take, or a recipient doesn’t rear a calf to its full genetic potential, costs a business thousands of dollars every year, as it is not just the loss of the embryo, but also the loss of the calf the recipient would have naturally conceived. With embryo transfer success rates coming down to the smallest of details, it pays to make the safest and most profitable decision for the business, and understand all the different recipient options before choosing them.

References

JR, G. E. (1984). Applications of Embryo Transfer and Related Technologies to Cattle . Animal Reproduction Laboratory, 2786-2796.

Lamb, C., & Mercadante, V. (2017, September 17). Selection and Management of the Embryo Recipient Herd for Embryo Transfer. Retrieved from Veterian Key : https://veteriankey.com/selection-and-management-of-the-embryo-recipient-herd-for-embryo-transfer/

Proactive vs Reactive Planning

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 04:15:39 GMT

Prepare, perform, and persevere. These 3 P’s were the running theme of the Young Beef Producers Forum held at Roma in mid-November, attended by three members of our team. Amongst all the informative speakers, a key takeout was the necessity of preparation. Whilst this is far from being a foreign concept, it is a tool that can be continually implemented and improved on.

Operations Manager Andrew Jansen knows how integral planning and preparation is for Bar H, “The things we’re doing now, is setting us up for autumn next year”. An example of this is capitalising on our standard wean, we have been drafting weaner mothers up into more appropriate groupings. This has eliminated the headache of mothering up, will streamline branding, auction selections and future joining decisions. How are we prepared? Seasonally, we have focused heavily on the ‘What If’ scenario of the river’s flooding. “Operations is structured to think ahead” AJ mentioned. This structure is pivotal in making room for elective tasks such as artificial breeding programs and capital improvement, whilst giving the team space to focus on the one percenters the whole way through.

It is in the moments when planning has fallen through the cracks, that we can heavily appreciate the benefit of thinking ahead. As most businesses can attest to, Covid impacted plans in a way that sometimes wasn’t foreseen. The repercussions were felt here on River Lea with something as simple as ordering visual tags and TSU’s. Arriving months later than standard time, this oversight resulted in management plans having to change outside of standard procedure. Product Manager Ria Garside reflected on her experience of the repercussions “Reactive planning takes a lot more effort than prior planning, there’s more logistics to take into consideration and can prevent you moving forward. It also means the one-percenters are likely to be overlooked”.

What is reactive vs prior planning? A company called BetterUp that focuses on well-being in the workplace, explains these different styles in the context of management. “Reactive management is when leaders respond to crises and issues as they arise. Proactive management means anticipating needs and challenges so that you and your team are prepared to overcome them.” The article continues, “It's impossible to anticipate every circumstance. No leader or organization can be proactive all the time. But if you're reactive all the time, you may spend a lot of time in fire-fighting mode. Your team may get frustrated that you didn't have contingency plans in place for foreseeable challenges.”

It can be inherent in our nature as individuals of the agricultural world, to be in fire-fighting mode, trying our best to manage the variables. However, if we wish to continue maximising efficiency, we need to acknowledge and embrace the reality of forward planning and how five minutes now, can save an hour later.

“It's not possible to be proactive all the time, but it’s not practical to be in problem-solving mode all the time either. Proactive means learning to dance between the day-to-day while keeping one eye on the future.”

Allaya Cooks-Campbell from BetterUp.

References

Cooks-Campbell, A. (2022, February 17). Reactive vs. proactive management styles: Which one gets results? Retrieved from BetterUp : https://www.betterup.com/blog/reactive-vs-proactive

Developments In On Farm Technology At River Lea

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 04:15:36 GMT

In the Bar H Grazing Autumn Newsletter, we wrote about the process of making the staff at River Lea replaceable, and the value we have found it to have in our business. The different technological tools we use on-farm have assisted us in doing so.

We have employed the principles of data collection at River Lea, only capturing data we can utilise and act on. Technology for us is only a tool not something we rely on. Labour has been a major beneficiary in having access to technology all over the property. Not only monitoring water supply, but also pinpointing the location of an issue - we can be notified instantly.

For example, there are several benefits to understanding what water supply does hourly. It can monitor more than what’s in the tank, such as intake vs. stocking rates, or grazing patterns. It’s not about what data you’re capturing, it’s why? Once information is captured, even if it’s not being analysed, there is still the option to do so much more. Once you’ve got power to the paddock the options for different varieties of technology and innovation are extensive. It’s important to understand it does not have to be only via internet, but also radio frequencies and other kinds of transmission.

The different sorts of technology and water monitoring tools on farm, are not at every water point, they’re distributed at the most critical places, giving us a much broader idea of what’s happening out in the paddock.

Instant access means instant control, and with pumps on a start-stop system, you can have immediate impact. Understanding what a problem is means you can understand what tools you need, and accurately find the source of the problem in the minimalist of time partnered by minimal labour. All the technology we use on farm is utilised with the same kinds of principles – another tool in the toolbox.

ANIMAL PROFILE: L3272

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 04:56:37 GMT

BAR2L3272 REGISTERED PROFILE – (Polled animal)

http://abri.une.edu.au/online/cgi-bin/i4.dll?1=3C212A07&2=2420&4=59272F59252D24252E232E2F2A&5=2B3C2B3C3A&6=5B585B582424202120&9=5F5A5827

I was playing the long game when I decided to purchase some F1 Angus from New South Wales, with the intention to create Bar H Poll foundations. These Wattle Top Angus Wagyu heifers mixed with the natural Polled Bos Indicus females already in our herd would set the basis for us. Using known genetics over these females gives me confidence in producing Bar H Purebred Poll Wagyu with data I can touch. It has been proven to me that Wagyu has the ability to have the full package - in production and carcase with welfare.

I have been AI’ing these females to the likes of;

IMUFQTF147
IMUFQTF148
IMUFLTF151
WSRFQ0062
WSRFS0060
GOSFV0112
GOSFV0106
GOSFV0093

These wide world known genetics have shown to us time and time again they will perform in all areas. This allows Bar H Polled animals to have the foundations that others simply don’t, I can hang my hat on these foundations.

The Polled animals I’m breeding have sold data behind them now. After L3272 proved her ability to mother and raise weight for age, high marbling, and massive EMA in her progeny, we reintroduced the Poll gene.

L3272 is a growthy cow with abundance of milk, we have flushed, transferred, and frozen her in our recent Embryo Transfer Programs. In these ET programs we joined her with the Polled bulls BRCPG0052 and PWYPR0068.

We will endeavour to make these Polled animals more accessible via our biannual female auction and we are keeping more of these Polled females so the rigid genetics and Polled traits remain among our herd.

Other exciting Polled animals showing potential:

BAR3S4670 – (polled animal)

http://abri.une.edu.au/online/cgi-bin/i4.dll?1=3C212A07&2=2420&4=59272F59252D24252E232E2F2A&5=2B3C2B3C3A&6=5B585B58242420212F&9=505A5F27

BAR3S4545 – (polled animal)

http://abri.une.edu.au/online/cgi-bin/i4.dll?1=3C212A07&2=2420&4=59272F59252D24252E232E2F2A&5=2B3C2B3C3A&6=5B585B58242420212E&9=505A5F5E

Brand Marketing and its place in Agriculture – with Alissa Herman from Golden Triangle Agribusiness

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:52:15 GMT

Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable shift toward the beef industries understanding and investing in ‘Brand Marketing’, and in turn, seen the positive impact in consumer/supply chain relationships. The brand on the hip of an animal has always been identified as the trademark of many beef producing businesses and worn with a sense of pride, as to us, the producer, this brand indicates the generations hard work and commitment to the animals it represents. However, the marketing of this brand to the consumer in the past has been somewhat lacking.

Consumers like to see how their food is produced – chicken is an excellent example of this, people would like to know if its caged, free range, or organic – purchasers make decisions based on these factors. The partnership with ‘Country Road’ and Cotton Australia is another example of this. People like to know they’re making a safe purchase. In the beef industries instance, consumers would like to know how their meat is produced, how they were fed, how they were bred, and where they originated from… access to this information will give the consumer faith they are making a highly considered purchase.

We recently sat down with Alissa Herman, a partner at Golden Triangle Agribusiness, a finance and consulting group in Emerald, Queensland - someone who we believe to be doing a very good job at marketing their product through different modes of media. Alissa’s point of difference compared to other rural finance consultants was her unique and extremely thorough branding strategy. She believes that producer’s biggest problem is a lack of understanding about their client.

According to the Journal of Agrobiotechnology Management & Economics, a branding strategy allows customers to associate more with a company, and in turn drives their purchasing decisions. In agriculture, branding begins with a search cost, identifying animals that fit their branding strategy. Its then considers the people you want to attract, the place you’d like to work from, and how you plan on promoting your product. Traditionally this may have been an avenue that’s overlooked; however, the shift in marketing of agricultural products has seen a change from standardised commodity markets to value – added products.

Alissa believes in the principle that you need people to LIKE, KNOW, & TRUST you. It’s about establishing a ‘warm lead’. No matter what the size your operation is or what product you produce, they say it takes a person 7 times to see you before they’ll buy from you.

Alissa says, “I know who I am talking to every time. As a beef producer, are you selling beef in a shop, or to producers buying females? You need to know who you’re aiming for; in that case your branding strategy will be totally different. I’m very clear about who I’m talking to, and I don’t want to confuse that with anything else.”

This entire branding strategy is built around communication between various segments of the supply chain which is highly critical – it is a necessity for coordinating value added products and maintaining a present brand name. This is where the term ‘paddock to plate’ has derived from, it’s an intangible relationship a brand will create in the consumers mind, between where their food comes from and the product they receive.

So, our question to you is, What are you doing to market your story?

The 1%’ers that make a difference in Artificial Reproduction

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:45:53 GMT

Artificial reproduction in Wagyu is growing at a rapid rate all over Australia. It has allowed access to genetics from all over the world, genetic improvement across all bases, and an increase in progeny’s value. However, success rates are difficult to keep consistent given the amount of uncontrollable variables and shifting parts that ultimately have a massive impact on the success of artificial reproduction. We are always trying to do everything we can to minimise these inconsistencies, which we have broken up and outlined below.

Storage

In AI (Artificial Insemination) and ET (Embryo Transfer), whenever a foreign body breaches a cow there is a high risk of infection in such a sensitive area, especially in cattle yards where there is a lot of dirt and infectious bacteria. Therefore, making sure when you administer semen or a cue mate there is no dirt or bacteria carried in with it from the surface. As a rule, the further in you enter in the vagina, the cleaner it will be.

Keep all your equipment in an airconditioned storeroom. This way;
They collect less dust than a storeroom – clean equipment is critical.
No chance of anything being contaminated or expiring because of temperature.
Store all your equipment clean
After use all ART (Artificial Reproduction Technology) equipment needs to be thoroughly soaked and cleaned in chlorinated water or with methylated spirits.

Artificial Insemination

Warm your gun up before AI
By keeping the steel gun warm underneath your armpit or on your skin it will bring it to body temperature and not shock the thawed semen once it’s loaded.
Toilet paper dry straws rather than paper towel
Toilet paper is softer than paper towel and absorbs more water which can kill semen.
AI rod protection
Use an ‘AI gun protector sheath cover’ if you can, it allows for an even cleaner entry.
Don't work in direct sunlight
Keeping multiple shades set up around the crush can help this, it’s particularly critical to manage during ET or a fixed time AI when you’re working for a longer amount of time.
When transferring the semen from the nitrogen tank to be thawed, it needs to be done as quickly as possible to avoid it being exposed to the environment.
Use a digital thermometer (its more accurate)
Clean your scissors before and after each time you cut a new straw
It’s another element of keeping the equipment clean, also in some rare instances semen from the last straw can live on scissors and contaminate the next straw.

Cue Mates

Use clean water administering cue mates
Fill two buckets with clean water, use one to put dirty cue mate guns in and then another to put clean loaded guns in. Don’t use any other antibacterial active to avoid the risk of affecting the progesterone in the cue mate.
Use new Cue Mates on Donors
Recharging Cue Mates is good option for recipient cattle and fixed time AI programs, however with donors just to avoid any complications or error its best to use fresh cue mates straight from the packet.
Paper Towel everything
You can buy paper towels in industrial sizes, and these are important to use so you can clean any dirt away from the vagina when you administer a cue mate or semen.
Infections from cue mates is extremely high, a dirty cue mate living in a cow’s vagina for a week or more can be fairly harmful.

Needling

21G (0.8mm X 25mm) needles for Donors
21G (green) needles are thinner than the popular 18G (1.2mm X 38mm) (pink) needles – by using these they make it a bit more pleasant for donors because they receive so many of them. Never use the same green needle, use a new needle every shot you give. For recipient or fixed AI animals, change their pink needle (its tougher) at least every 10 animals.
Needle where there’s less fat
If an animal has a meatier rump the drug won’t go straight to their muscle as well as it would for a shallower cow. You can needle them as low down the leg as acceptable, between the rump and the shank. Doing this also allows for spreading the needles out to avoid swelling.
Small Syringes
For small specific shots like Folltropin, its critical to use smaller syringes so you can be more accurate in your dosage.

Procedure

The AI or Cue Mate technician should not do any other yard work away from loading guns and AI’ing. They need to remain in the crush area, so they don’t get any dirtier than they need to.
When you put heat detection stickers on cows, make sure the stickers are warm, so the glue attaches itself properly.
Punctuality with fixed time AI and ET programs - start needling at the exact same time every morning and night.

At last, in our experience all these things are extremely relative and have a massive affect on the herds reproductive success,

but TIMING IS EVERYTHING.

A lot of people can AI, but the timing discipline of the animal’s cycle is the honest game changer, especially for operations like ours where natural AI programs are a massive part of what we do.

Another majorly important part of artificial reproduction is for the ANIMALS TO BE CLIMATISED. Cows need to be used to their environment, calm to come into the yards, and well accustomed with gates and water points. In fixed time AI programs, we record how easily they mother up with their calves each day and try to repeat the variables that make them mother up better. For example, how we muster the paddock, where we feed and water them, how many people are on deck, did we use dogs or not? All these little things can make a difference. Cattle are extremely susceptible to routine and in any artificial program there are lengths of repetition. We want our cattle to adapt to a comfortable routine that will keep them calm and unbothered.

Building Positive Business Relationships in Agriculture

Thu, 19 May 2022 06:22:34 GMT

Bar H Grazing and Jacks Creek Beef have had a long and mutual business relationship, established upon the foundations of reliability, consistency, and communication. At our recent Wagyu Auction, Jacks Creek was there to support the event and spoke about the value we have bought to each other’s businesses. 

We had a chat to Jacks Creek Livestock and Processing Manager Victor Rixon, who has been working closely with Bar H for a good part of his eight years with the company, about what it takes to have a long and positive business relationship. Victor believes that "communication is the biggest thing. Producers having a plan... Letting us know how many cattle they're going to have a month, or if they have to miss a month, when they need a break, the season they’re having, and their performance - it’s all relevant."  

Victor believes reliability and consistency are both massive things, he needs to know exactly what he’s going to buy so they go straight onto feed and perform. From a risk perspective, he needs to know that it’s a safe purchase all the way.  

“Those producers that we can put a program and a brand around are really important”.

Developing customer loyalty is extremely important in agriculture, particularly since there are so many variables. A study done on 86 farmers active in four different agricultural areas by the British Food Journal in 2015 discovered that the majority of farmers see their relationships more as a necessity for the farm to be able to function, than as an opportunity for innovation. While both are important, innovation cannot happen without established data recording and good communication between buyers and sellers. 

Findings also found that farmers need to take more actions to improve their skills in negotiating with suppliers and buyers. They found that characteristics of asymmetric relationships foster the development of innovation processes. As cattle producers, from a business perspective this is the ultimate goal, taking the quality of our operation to another level of standard and development. To do this, working among those reliable relationships in the industry is integral.    

Victor believes in order to foster the longevity of an important business relationship there has to be occasional sacrifices, he states that “a couple of our really long-term customers understand that if we need cattle, instead of producers saving those cattle to put another 30kg, they will send them to us when we need them. We have a business to run as well”.  

Innovation is at the forefront of successful business; listening, contributing, and negotiating about the best way to do things is a discussion between professionals that will continue to pave the path of innovative development in the agricultural industry.   

Sources

Lambrecht, E., Kuhne, B., & Gellynck, X. (2015). Asymmetric relationships in networked agricultural innovation processes. British Food Journal, 1810-1825.

How to help your Wagyus perform in the feedlot

Thu, 19 May 2022 06:22:32 GMT

Pictured: Ryan Brown, Group Livestock Manager for Smithfield Cattle Company located in Proston, Queensland.

In the year of 2021 Bar H delivered 475 steers to Smithfield Feedlot owned and operated by Smithfield Cattle Company. With a continuous improvement focus, we recently caught up with Ryan Brown, Group Livestock Manager, to discuss how we could improve on our backgrounding practices, to best prepare our long-fed Wagyu’s to perform at a higher level.

He believes there are 4 things that truly contribute to the marbling and performance of your animals that should not be underestimated, these were.

Genetic Makeup
Early Life Nutrition
Routine
Quality processor

We delved into early life nutrition, since Ryan believed it was the most underestimated thing in preparing feedlot cattle to perform. He explained that,

“Fat cells are created in the first 250 days of life, after that they can only expand or contract. No matter the nutritional experience later in life, that animal will have a limited capacity - if you don’t build fat cells in that young animal, no matter how good the genetics are you have a limited output because there’s only a certain number of cells.”

According to an extract from the Asian- Australas Journal of Animal Science in 2018, in order for Japanese Black cattle to marble their best, they are fed highly concentrated feed at specific times, including fetal nutritional at early, mid, and late gestation periods, which can significantly affect their adiposity later in life. ¹

Ryan believes that if producers aren’t receiving the results they want, despite having proven genetics and effective weaning, handling, and vaccination practices, his advice would be to improve nutrition in breeder cattle, prioritising body scoring at joining and understanding the value of putting effort into improving the cows body conditioning. Programs such as creep feeding calves at foot has also proven to be highly effective.

Industry academics support the importance of routine, and provided evidence that nutrition, seasonal and climatic variation are reviewed and linked to marbling appearance and fat hardness ² . Routine is something that Smithfield acknowledge as a part of their success. They believe that if producers could implement a strict pattern in their production cycle each year it would encourage a smoother transition into the feedlot chain, improving the animal’s overall health and performance.

Ryan believes that producers can be doing simples things in their operation to make animals transition into feedlots more fluently. Disruption to the animal’s routine when it comes from a backgrounding operation can be an indurated experience, the change in place and diet creates stress that can live in animals' body for up to a fortnight. Cattle need to be prepared to deal with unfamiliar experiences from the very beginning, starting with the way they’re handled. Implementing consistent low stress stock handling practices across an operations team helps to establish a familiarity in animals, keeping them adaptable to fresh environments.

¹ (Park, et al., 2018)

² (Tume, 2004)

Sources

Park, S. J., Beak, S.-H., Jung, D. S., Kim, S. Y., Jeong, I. H., Piao, M. Y., . . . Baik, M. (2018). Genetic, management, and nutritional factors affecting intramuscular fat deposition in beef cattle — A review. Asian-Australiasian Journal of Animals Sciences, 1043-1061.

Tume, R. K. (2004). The effects of environmental factors on fatty acid composition and the assessment of marbling in beef cattle: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 663-668.

The Benefits of Process Mapping - From the Bush to the Boardroom

Thu, 19 May 2022 06:22:29 GMT

As the expectations and regulations increase in the beef industry, we venture further from a ‘lifestyle’ and more toward a ‘business’. It has become integral for producers and their employees to work more efficiently toward their goal, with a distinct focus on the bottom line and the 1%’s. Communicating the common goal and the steps involved in achieving this, creates unity and encourages efficiency in the workplace.

‘Process Mapping’ is defined as a planning and management tool that visually describes the flow of work. By taking proactive steps to standardize and then effectively communicate processes, you can prepare your business to overcome challenges and manage uncertainty.

At Bar H, there are two 65-day joining periods, timing and planning is of the essence and we often find the need to introduce contractors to the team in order to achieve what is required during busy periods. To allow permanent staff members to accurately communicate the common goal, Bar H have relied upon a ‘Production Wheel’ for quite some time. The wheel is supported by our ‘Production Guide, providing intricate detail into each of the procedures, specifically for management personnel - the wheel is a visual concept of what is to be achieved in a calendar year.

In a report written by the University of Salford in Manchester about the functions of visual management, there were nine key functions of the visual communication method. These were;

Transparency
Discipline
Continuous Improvement
Job Facilitation
On-the-Job Training
Creating Shared Ownership
Management by facts
Simplification
Unification

Discipline was defined as ‘making a habit of properly maintaining correct procedures” (Hirano, 1995). The article read that “anyone, even a newly hired, inexperienced employee, should be able to distinguish between normal and abnormal conditions at a glance and start taking the correct steps, developing a intuitive, habitual correctness, without being dependent on another entity” (#2, page 7).

IN 1953, the Ishikawa (Cause and effect or Fishbone) diagram was employed by Kaoru Ishikawa for the first time. He advocated that 95% of quality related problems can be resolved with seven basic visual tools; flowcharts, check sheets, Pareto diagrams, cause and effect diagrams, histograms, scatter diagrams, and control charts.

Using process mapping as a form of communication within the workplace cultivates a culture that encourages the entire team to be held responsible and accountable for their work This constitutes a supportive network and aids in reducing miscommunication or mistakes.

Whilst the thought of being replaceable in the workplace can be somewhat daunting, at Bar H we strive for the regular day to day operation to be as systematic and predictable as possible. By encouraging replaceability it allows the team to be innovative and challenge themselves at another level and standard. By making room in our team from a systematic approach, it provides us with the freedom to focus on the next step of the business.

“Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.”
Albert Einstein

Sources

#1 - https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/05/08/process-mapping-in-an-age-of-uncertainty/?sh=5fe0ed817cd8

#2 http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/10883/1/The_functions_of_Visual_Management.pdf

The Evolution of the Wagyu Auction – with Chris Norris from Elite Livestock Auctions

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 00:03:22 GMT

In preparation for Bar H’s second ‘Wagyu Auction’ which includes over 280 females, our team decided to review how we can improve the sort of event people would like to celebrate in 2022, so we can appropriately meet the needs of our consumer in our upcoming event. We decided to have a chat with none other than Chris Norris, who could possibly have attended more cattle auctions than any other person in Australia last year, with his online platform ‘Elite Livestock Auctions’.

Chris created ‘Elite Livestock Auctions’ in 2016. In that year they conducted 53 sales/ auctions and in 2021 they conducted 853 auctions across the country. He said “there has been massive growth in the participation of buying. We are seeing some sales where 80% of the gross is over 1 million dollars to an online audience, bidding remotely. Every auction is different, but that is just a snapshot of where the industry is at the moment”.

An example of this are the results from the recent Tamworth Nutrien Horse Sale. In reflecting upon the results from this huge event that drew cattleman and horseman from all over the country to the New South Wales town, it’s hard to imagine that for camp drafters and cattle people alike, the previous two years of isolation did not have something to do with the celebration of the current economic climate in the agricultural industry.

At Bar H we are trying to emphasise our Female Wagyu Auction into being an event to celebrate the breed, the season, and the people in the industry.

Chris believes, “last year at your sale we were able to all go there and we had that coming together of people in the community. Sale day is an event and it creates a little bit of hype in the community, and that’s what I want more of in this country.

As much as I love having online sales only and they're wonderful, they don’t celebrate the community. At a live auction you get together, you look at the animal, gather the night before and have a beer with the vendor, after the sale you have a few beers and a BBQ. It’s a wonderful meeting point”.

Relationships are the biggest thing in this industry which is hard to do over a computer screen, and that’s what auction day creates. Chris says, “I am pretty different in that sense; my competitors push push push for online only. But we want to go live”.

In order to be successful as a team, and as independents we have thoughtfully prepared our Female Wagyu Auctions with the vision it will become an opportunity for people to celebrate the breed, the season and the people in the agricultural industry. Its suited to become a sort of networking event that will allow our business, and hopefully other businesses, to raise the bar for each other and ask ourselves the question, what can we do better in the Wagyu and wider agricultural industry?

Bar H continues to have a wonderful relationship with ‘Elite Livestock Auctions’ and we thank them for their continuous support. They have an excellent standard of presentation which we compliment with the assistance of ‘Five Star Creative Promotions’. Chris believes the most dangerous phrase in business is ‘but we have always done it this way’.

Bar H looks forward to the Autumn Auction on Friday the 8th of April and hopes to connect with as many friends, colleagues, and fellow graziers as possible to celebrate our wonderful industry.

January Embryo Transfer Program Recap

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 00:03:21 GMT

Bar H has just recently undergone an embryo transfer (ET) program with 'The Repro Group' from Allora. The program took 19 days to complete and consisted of 2 mobs that started one day apart from each other. In each mob there were 7 donors and just over 80 recipient cattle.

Mob 1 donors consisted of a number of poll and purebred cattle, these were AI'ed to BAR R 52Y (PB13914)(P) with the intention to create polled females. Mob 2 donors consisted of fullblood cattle which were artificially inseminated (AI'ed) to a variation of bulls, consisting of Yasafuku Jnr KB1271, Shigeshigetani, Itoshigenami, Itomichi ½, and Blackmore Aizatzurudoi Y398. Some of these joinings are new combinations to the Bar H herd, and have been specifically generated with the intention to create both males and females.

Donor mob 1 excelled producing a total 82 transferrable eggs between them which allowed every recipients to receive a fresh embryo. Close to 65% of these embryos were quality A and the other 35% quality B. Donor mob 2 didn’t respond as well, producing less than 50% of what donor mob 1 did. Whilst somewhat disappointing, this allowed us to use some frozen embryos, both homegrown and purchased, reintroducing some exciting genetics to the herd.

Graphs 1 and 2, a comparison of the quality of fresh embryos transferred between Mob 1 donors and recipients, and Mob 2 donors and recipients. Graph 3, a comparison of how many embryos the donors in Mob 1 flushed, compared to Mob 2.

In total, there were 163 recips selected based upon the following variables;

Aged 3-3.5 years old – they have proven their fertility and size, however they’re still young enough to carry an embryo with ease.
Wagyu groups F2 and F3 - they have the benefits of the fertility that accompanies the Wagyu breed, even though they will have lower content than a full blood or pure bred, they will produce more milk, calve easier and are proven mothers.
They're proven cattle, and if an embryo doesn't take, then a mop up bull will still produce an extremely good calf, that fits in with our production guide.

An interesting moment during our program was on flush day 2, where Peter Atkinson from ‘The Repro Group’ and his staff realised that six excess embryos from the day before had been incubated for over 24 hours and grown nearly two stages over night. As an experiment for both of us, we decided to implant these embryos into a select group of recipient animals, which are being closely monitored to track how these embryos grow. This is an exciting collaboration for our business.

Peter believes he is experiencing the most business he’s ever seen, he says that “during the drought it slowed down a bit, but last year was the biggest year we have ever done”. ET in cattle is becoming more realistic and accessible for wagyu breeders, not to mention how much it’s demonstrating to improve people’s herd.

Some of the following joins were flushed and transferred during our ET program:

By Que Hornery

BAR4C249 X IMUFQT148 - The reason these two animals were joined was because of C249’s blend of genetics that opens all doors. Having my favorite bloodlines in (DM100 & J003) allows this cow to be joined to anything. C249’s progenies have out preformed the average weaning weight for us and she always shows mass milk supply, even at 15yrs of age. TF148 was selected to produce us either a female or male.

BARFK1634 X WKSFS0100 – This is an exciting join for our business, I chose this because of this massive cow’s high growth and milk traits throughout her genetic makeup, allows in a 100% Tajima bull like Yasafuku Jnr. This joining makes available a very balanced Wagyu progeny male or female. – her previous three generations in growth and milk accepts that bull

Y3272 X BRCPG0052 – This is an unusual join, with Y3272 not being registered with the AWA, she has proven to be an asset to the Bar H herd. The reason these two animals were joined was because to focus on a poll purebred that are bred, born, and grown in Central Queensland. Near 10 years ago we purchased some of Lock Rodgers Wattle Top Angus F1’s, for this project, I AI’ed Itoshigenami, Mahashi, Katusumi, Kanyhama, Michitatsu and Itozurudio to these F1 cows, to establish a strong F2 female foundation. Y3272 is by TF151, and to infuse 52Y with this pedigree is an exciting join.

Operations At Bar H – with Andrew Jansen

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 00:03:16 GMT

In Operations at Bar H, the past couple of months have seen our team send off a shipment of quality feedlot steers to Smithfield Feedlot, two shipments of cull cows to Roam Wagyu at Paradigm Foods and complete an entire Embryo Transfer program. All completed off the back of December, our branding and joining season.

All of this has been at the helm of Andrew Jansen, known as the farrier, the rodeo legend, and one of the most profound cattle dog trainers in Queensland. The quality in everything he does is reflected in his ability to bring out the best in the staff and animals at Bar H.

We recently caught up with AJ to chat through the Pits & Peaks of this busy period:

As Summer comes to a close, we are starting to think about how we can maximise pasture productivity. Rotational grazing has proven to let our cattle perform, but this requires significant strategising. At the moment we have this in place but there is always another level of planning we have to be paying attention to.

AJ says, “we were mustering heifers last week and my dogs were struggling to get through the grass in our front paddock. Its low and starting to dry off but the ground cover is still thick and the cattle are really thriving off that. A couple of weeks ago 84 heavy steers were sent to Smithfield Feedlot where they achieved a 443kg average and a current ADG of 0.89kg a day. They came back with a 7.5% shrinkage and we were pretty happy with that. This gave us the confidence that what we are doing is proving to work, even though we will continuously try to improve on this.”

“We are preparing supplement lick and pellets for the cattle, the timing of that is important because we need to utilise the feed we have at the moment; however, we also don’t want to lose too much ground cover. We will see what the weather is going to do, however that’s definitely playing on our minds.”

Other than that, AJ is preparing for an early wean. He says “I have currently have a number of young dogs that I am excited to be training for the futurity a little bit later this year. We also have a number of young horses coming along, and it’s all very exciting for the team.”

In the next couple of months, the operations team at Bar H will be preparing and completing an AI program/natural join, a spring wean, and an Autumn brand among other projects. There are a number of new strategies and techniques the team have been working hard to establish, and it will be interesting to see the results of these projects in 2022 compared to the previous two years.