Calves on the Ground and Kilos on the Steers Influence Profitability
Elrose Brahman Stud
Profit from Practical Proven Performers
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 of Cloncurry in North West Queensland.
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 seedstock.
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.
Even quality & quiet temperament are hallmarks of Elrose Brahmans.
THE STUD
Comprises over 1,000 registered females with fourteen single sire herds. An emphasis is placed on selecting sires which suit the Stud’s demands for fertility, carcass qualities, sound structure and “do-ability” more than any particular “fashionable” bloodline. Many sires have been sourced from the McCamleys’ Tartrus and Lancefield Studs simply because they keep ‘fitting the bill’ of our requirements.
Recent sire purchases include Lancefield Ambition $60,000, Lancefield Montague $34,000, Lancefield Signature $87,500, Brahrock White Hawk Man $34,000, Lancefield Magic Manso (in partnership with Caiwarra Stud) $38,500, FBC Major Manso $45,000, FBC Tallis $40,000 and Lancefield Arcadia $62,500. Rodger & Lorena Jefferis have a simple philosophy in purchasing sires. “They are an investment with the capacity to return enormous dividends to your herd, not a cost,” they said. Their courage and foresight in purchasing Ambition in 1998 for an Australian record price has been well rewarded with his first five young sons more that recouping the purchase price.
Another example in Brahrock Adam, a Madison son purchased for only $9,000 three years ago. His early progeny impressed enough for Elrose to go back and buy his full brother in 2001 for $34,000. “Research is the key to sire selection,” Rodger Jefferis said. “Find the sire which will take your herd further forward, back your judgment and buy him.
Sires are worked hard in the stud herd. A joining period of 120 days is employed. Young 2yo sires are mated with 30-40 females for their first season, and then in subsequent seasons they must cover larger herds, up to 70 cows.
The nature of the country necessitates well adapted females. Fertility of damlines is a key priority and is assessed in balance with other selection traits.
Elrose has made use of the rapidly flourishing embryo transfer technology with their primary focus on herd advancement rather than on rushing to the marketplace with E.T. progeny. Whereas many seedstock producers are driven simply by market fashion in their E.T. programmes, purchasing an “in vogue” female, flushing to newly imported sires and heading for a sale outlet with the progeny as soon as possible, Elrose views the technology as a means of introducing new sire lines across top class home bred donors with a proven family performance in the local environment. This ensures some predictability in the progeny.
Rodger Jefferis and Daughter Brooke with a group of young Sale bulls.
MARKETING
All Elrose bulls sold by auction have been committed to the Cattle Country Brahman Sale at Cloncurry in North West Queensland each Autumn. The Stud markets approximately 110 to 120 bulls at this event 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 Breedplan figures, weight gains, etc.
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. The 1st Elrose Invitational Sale will now be on Elrose in November 2005.
Breed, beef and Carcass qualities feature in Sale bulls
TRAIT ANALYSIS
Elrose Brahman Stud utilises the Group Breedplan analysis as an important selection aid. This genetic value for growth, carcass, and fertility traits has assisted them and their bull clients to achieve significant herd improvement and subsequently, greater profitability. The Stud makes available all data to prospective purchasers and is a keen advocate of buyers looking for balance in the EBV’s of their bull selections rather than concentrating on the highest value of one particular trait.
A great amount of time and money has been invested by Elrose into refining Stud management to collect meaningful data and support the advancement of Group Breedplan analysis, which in turn will return the most relevant genetic performance information to the Stud.
In the most recent A.B.B.A. Genetic Evaluation, Elrose Brahmans recorded herd EBV’s well above breed average in growth traits and carcass criteria and of significant economic advantage in fertility criteria.
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GROWTH & CARCASS TRAITS
Breed Average vs Elrose Herd
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Elrose Brahmans cater for commercial cattle producers who seek results from these high performance bloodlines.
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.
Highlights
- Competed 4 times at Brahman Breed Feature Shows winning 4 Grand Champions
- Competed twice Brahman Country National Livestock Championships – 2 Grand Champion Pens and 1 Most Successful Exhibitor Award
- Regular winner Cloncurry Show Carcass Competition including a record 91.5 points score.
The Brahman national Livestock Championships was a triumph for Elrose Brahmans with Lorena and Rodger Jefferis accepting their Most Successful Exhibitor Award from John Joyce (Centre) Tropical Cattle.
ELROSE DRAFT PERFORMERS IN FEEDLOT
Weightgain and feed conversion results recorded in Sandalwood Feedlot, Dalby have highlighted the superior performance of high grade Grey Brahman steers bred by Rodger and Lorena Jefferis, Elrose, Cloncurry.
Warren Salter, General Manager of Sandalwood Feedlot was most impressed with the performance of the large consignment of 300 steers, ranking them with some of the best performing cattle Sandalwood has had through the feedlot in recent years.
“Over 100 days, their average daily gain was 2.2kg,” Mr Salter said. “And they converted at a ratio of 5.96 kg feed to 1kg of gain on a dry matter basis.”
The beef production efficiency apparent in the results of this consignment follow championship success for Elrose steers at events such as the prestigious Brahman Country National Livestock Championships in Charters Towers.
“It is an aid to our business as seedstock producers and sellers, to know that the bloodlines we utilize have the best capacity to deliver optimum results in the paddock off grass, in the feedlot and at works,” Rodger Jefferis said.
The Elrose feedlot steers continued to impress industry figures when processed by AMH Dinmore. The kill sheet showed an average carcass weight of 359kg yielding 56.79 percent, and with a near perfect average of 17.5mm fat cover.
Of the draft, 92 percent were milk, 2 and 4 tooth. The consignment also recorded 17 percent of the steers with a butt shape score of B, excellent for a large run of 100 day shortfed steers.
An AMH spokesman said the Elrose steers were, on the whole, a quality consignment, which had performed very well.
Rodger Jefferis was excited about the AMH works feedback as he has always paid attention to weightgain and carcass scans such as eye muscle area and fat cover on sires which the stud uses.
When your steers yield well, record excellent weight gains, have efficient conversion ability and produce a quality, profitable carcass, then you know the balance of beef production genetics in your herd is delivering the premium product desired by today’s industry,” Rodger said.
Lorena and Rodger Jefferis and Lizette McCamley admire Elrose Stud's $87,500 2001 Sire, Lancefield Signature.
Selection Clinic valuable to participants
A Selection Clinic was conducted at Rodger and Lorena Jefferis’, Elrose Station, Cloncurry on 28 & 29 April. Andrew Olive, Raglan stud, Raglan; Shane Bishop, Garglen stud, Gympie; Rodger Jefferis, Elrose gave presentations on selecting steer bulls and heifers which was followed by hands on exercises and ranking groups of animals. Craig Croker, Tropical Beef Technology Services gave presentations on Breedplan Overview, Practical Approach to Genetics and Selection, Gene Markers Explained and Balanced Breeding with Breed Object
Above: The selection Clinic participants, presenters and Elrose staff are pictured with one of the heifer selection groups
Below: Donald Moore, Belinda Moore, Jack Hayes, Jarrod Prince and Michael Eckford are pictured during a lunch break
Above: Malaysian visitor Dr Mohd. Azid Kabul, Manager, Sawit Kinabulu Farm Products Company, Sabah, is pictured with ABBA General Manager John Croaker and Craig Croker, Tropical Beef Technology Services. Dr Azid is responsible for a herd of over 5000 Brahman cattle grazing in the companies Oil Palm plantations in a cell grazing operation. He attended the Selection Clinic as part of the companies genetic development program
Rodger Jefferis (right) presented the place getters in the female selection section with certificates, from left: Neil Harling (second), Claire Britton (third) and Jacqueline Curley (first)
The Elrose team from left: Sophie Banks, Brooke, Rodger, Lorena and Grant Jefferis, Phillipa Howard, Doug White and Claire Britton
Shane Bishop (second right) is pictured with bull selection place getters, from left Phillipa Howard (third), Grant Jefferis (second) and Doug White (first)
Andrew Olive (second right) is pictured with place getters in the steer selection section (from left) Belinda Moore (equal second), Travis Harling (first), Doug White (third) and Neil Harling (equal second)
Combined points place getters at the Elrose Selection Clinic (from left) Neil Harling (second), Travis Harling (third) and Doug White (first) are pictured with Rodger Jefferis who presented the award certificates
Claire Britton and her mother Ann are pictured with Lorena Jefferis
Lachlan Radford, Jack Morris, Rob Duffy and Rick Britton caught up during a coffee break