The Black Baldy Crossbreeding trial aims to quantify the benefits of joining Angus cows to Hereford bulls, using a commercial Angus co-operator herd in North-East Tasmania.
The productivity and profitability of the Hereford-Angus cross, or Black Baldy, will be outlined at a series of workshops planned for this year.
Herefords Australia will hold the workshops in Victoria and southern NSW in conjunction with industry facilitator Dr Phil Holmes, Holmes & Co.
Dr Holmes provides consulting to family owned beef businesses, is the co-author of the 2013 Northern Beef Report and industry status updates published by Meat & Livestock Australia.
Herefords Australia chief executive officer John McKew said the free workshops fitted well with the society’s Black Baldy Crossbreeding Trial.
“Phil has some exceptionally strong data on the Black Baldy – the workshops will explore the cross from a profitability point of view and the value derived from the hybrid vigour,’’ Mr McKew said.
“We want as many Angus producers to participate as possible so we can show them how to make more money out of their black herds by using a Hereford bull over them.’’
The Black Baldy Crossbreeding trial aims to quantify the benefits of joining Angus cows to Hereford bulls, using a commercial Angus co-operator herd in North-East Tasmania.
The Angus cows were joined to Angus and Hereford bulls by artificial insemination and natural service.
The progeny will be measured for all birth and growth traits, with the steers being grass finished and processed by Greenhams, Tasmania.
All heifers will be retained and their maternal performance recorded and compared.
Under Cohort One of the trial, more than 450 calves were born to heifers and first calvers, and are due to be weaned in March.
The steer progeny will most likely be slaughtered in 2017.
Under the second Cohort, 770 first and second calvers have been artificially inseminated and are due to calve in July/August.
Mr McKew said the trial would be used to generate sufficient data for genomics.
“This is another tool we can use to progress the breed forward,’’ he said.
Dates and locations for the workshops are yet to be announced.