Calves on the Ground and Kilos on the Steers Influence Profitability
Elrose Brahman Stud
Profit from Practical Proven Performers
Rodger and Lorena Jefferis run the large scale and successful Elrose Brahman Stud with a clear and constant focus on the environment in which the Australian beef cattle industry operates. Being centred at Cloncurry in North West Queensland the Jefferis’ have firsthand experience with Australia’s unique and sometimes extreme conditions. The scope of their operation in their commercial herd, from the Gulf breeding country to Central Qld’s finishing country gives them a thorough understanding of factors such as market opportunities right through the production chain.
No Brahman Stud in Australia has made more of an impact in a combination of Sale ring presence (both buying and selling), expansion of bull production, application of relevant objective selection criteria, increase in Sale turnoff and prices, client service, and success in breed featured commercial and stud competitions in the last ten years than has Rodger & Lorena Jefferis’ Elrose Brahman Stud.
It has been a 40 plus year journey for the Stud, producing Brahmans under mostly extreme, variable and extensive conditions. Long periods of dry, temperatures commonly over 40°C in summer and down to single figures on winter nights, monsoonal summer rain influences and variable pasture quality all constantly challenge the ability of Elrose Brahmans to deliver results at the top level of beef production.
The steady and growing stream of cattle producer bull buyer clients, both private and pastoral company representatives, driving through the Elrose gates is testimony that the Stud’s breeding philosophy, management practices and desire for customer satisfaction, are providing sizable benefits for herds utilising Elrose seed stock.
Elrose is concentrating on producing large lines of bulls with a depth of breeding, female fertility, and performance to ensure a predictable outcome in clients’ herds.” Rodger Jefferis said. “Calves on the ground and kilos on the steers are the main influences on herd profitability and this is the reason most of our bull turnoff is to large commercial operators.
Visitors to the Elrose Stud easily recognise the energy and passion the Jefferis family have for their herd. “We get great satisfaction out of breeding to achieve increased herd performance. Our bull buying clients rely on us to power their herds with industry leading beef performance genetics.”
Even quality & quiet temperament are hallmarks of Elrose Brahmans.
MARKETING
All Elrose bulls sold by auction have been committed to the Annual Elrose Stud Sale on “Elrose” 70km south of Cloncurry in North West Queensland on the Landsborough highway in the last week of November each Autumn.
The Stud markets approximately 160 to 180 bulls each year with a very high percentage of repeat buyers.
In 2001, 100 Elrose bulls sold to a top of $23,000 at this Sale and average $5,650, one of the best auction sale demands recorded by large scale producers ever in Australia. The Stud’s sale lots are backed by considerable data on semen tests, carcass scans, dentition, Group Breed plan figures, weight gains, etc.
In 2008 the Sale Supplementary Sheet of weights, carcase scans of EMA, fat cover and IM, as well as dentition reinforced the capability of Elrose Brahmans to deliver carcase qualities at the premium end of the Australian Beef Industry. Nearly 200 bulls were assessed with an average age of 23 months. They weighed an average of 723kg and scanned 122 square centimetres of eye muscle with a beautiful fat cover of 11mm (P8) and 8mm (Rump). 80% of the sale bulls were milk tooth and the EMA’s were recorded to a huge 144square centimetres.
Years of selecting sires with the muscle and fat measurements to fit a range of export and domestic markets is seen as the catalyst for such a depth of beef performance in the Elrose Stud Herd. Elrose Brahmans now have a herd producing muscling comparable with the best of any breed, however easy doing finish and ideal fat cover has not been compromised.
Selling so far from the established stud sale centres of Rockhampton and Charters Towers has no doubt been of detriment to the price of some of the Stud’s individual sire prospect turnoff, but the Jefferis’ are adamant they will continue to offer all their best by auction in their own area to support the loyal demand shown by their Sale’s repeat customers over the years.
“We would expect some of our top bulls would sell for higher prices if presented at the coastal sales where a greater number of stud bull buyers create competition, and while all Studs are delighted to sell a top price sire, our greater focus is in producing large, even lines of high quality, high performance bulls ensuring premium, predictable progeny.” Rodger Jefferis said. “This puts dollars into the pockets of all our customers more than us concentrating on selling a few high price sires.”
Following selection of the annual sale team, the balance of the Stud’s bulls are sold in the paddock. Generally these attractive lines are “spoken for” before they turn 18 months of age with astute cattle producers in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland snapping them up for valuable commercial production.
Breed, beef and Carcass qualities feature in Sale bulls
COMMERCIAL
Around 15,000 commercial Brahman cattle are also run by Rodger & Lorena Jefferis and, as they use their own bulls in this herd, it gives them a very much “hands-on” assessment of how their bloodlines are producing to supply a broad range of markets from feeder steers and heifers for Southern feedlots, to live export requirements, to grass finished bullock production and as fertile, good milking replacement breeders.
Commercial turnoff is monitored constantly ensuring their seedstock is producing progeny at the premium end of market specifications.
Their forays into stud and commercial cattle showings have confirmed the quality of Elrose Brahmans at the highest level, and their alignment with the demands of today’s premium stud and commercial cattle requirements.
Elrose Brahmans - proud winners in commercial competition.