NOT only was it an unusually red hot day in Manjimup, but it was the Red Angus breed that has turned up the heat in recent times.
A large number of stud and commercial cattle breeders headed south last week to attend the Red Angus Beef Field Day, which was held at Wyndarra stud principals Gavin and Raelene Muir's Manjimup property.
The purpose of the field day was to provide an informative and interactive forum for cattle producers to learn more about the advantages of early weaning, animal health and the Red Angus breed itself.
The solid turnout also included a special appearance by the Red Angus Society executive officer Colin Rex, who attended the field day when he was supposed to be on holidays, demonstrating his passion for the breed and its capabilities.
"You only need to look at the Red Angus product for proof it offers real advantages to cattle producers," Mr Rex said.
"It's a breed that is the all-rounder of the cricket team.
"It might not be the absolute standout in one area, but it's the best all-round package that excels in all areas.
"Ultimately, cattle producers want to become more profitable and that's easy enough to do when you are running Red Angus cattle."
The Red Angus breed has been putting runs on the board for more and more producers and was a proven performer for the Muirs, with Wyndarra stud principal Gavin Muir giving a brief overview of their operation and the recent changes they have made.
The most significant change was weaning their calves much earlier than they used to, in an effort to increase their carrying capacity.
Mr Muir spoke from a practical perspective with a detailed reasoning behind changing their management systems, while RAW Animal Health veterinarian Adrian Baker provided the scientific approach to early weaning and rumen efficiency.
Dr Baker said there were a number of variances between individual cattle enterprises, so before making the decision to wean calves earlier, he encouraged producers to carefully consider a number of factors.
"The only time there is a clear cut answer to wean calves early is when tough seasonal conditions force you to do so," Dr Baker said.
"It's an economic decision in a drought year, when feed is tight and you have to wean them early.
"But when you decide to do it any other time, there are many factors that need to be considered, controlled and monitored."
These included planning and defining targets for early weaning, having clean, quality pasture or supplementary feed available plus the facilities and labour to handle the extra work.
A tight calving pattern also helped labour management, as did planned health programs such as 7in1 vaccines, but one of the most significant factors to improve efficiency was development of the rumen.
In order to efficiently use the amount of feed available, early rumen development in calves had a flow-on effect of better nutrient absorption and an increased growth rate.
Ideally, the main aim was to achieve a moderate growth rate of between 600-800 grams a day, so Dr Baker said it all related back to the rumen.
"To achieve these moderate growth rates, we need adequate feed intake," he said.
"It needs to be a consistent and balanced intake and we need maximum nutrient absorption.
"It all comes down to the rumen and how effectively it's working."
Efficient feed conversion was also important further down the chain, explained WA Lotfeeders Association president Trevor Hinck.
Mr Hinck spoke from a lotfeeder perspective and outlined the type of calves he wanted coming through their feedlot, as their business performance was intrinsically linked to the performance of the cattle.
The background of every animal to enter their Hyden-based feedlot was of great importance, including the type of feed, weaning, handling and what markets the producer was aiming for.
"Our business is about building relationships with our farmers," Mr Hinck said.
"I need to know every detail in the background of the cattle because it affects my business.
"Getting those animals acclimatised to the feedlot as quickly as possible is key to putting on weight.
"These days my cow-calf producers are all on the same page as us and how we like the calves to be prepared for the feedlot.
"The last thing you and I want to happen is to have your calves go backwards."
Another challenge for cattle producers was figuring out a way to develop a 12-month cattle season to avoid the regular seasonal glut of calves entering the market.
The reduced number of calves coming out of the Wheatbelt has also created a smaller area to draw from, with many Wheatbelt producers opting for total cropping.
The main point he wanted the cow-calf producers to take home was to know their customer, ensuring they can produce cattle with an end market in mind.
In order to get the most out of their cattle and prepare them for markets such as feedlots, Zoetis representative Michael Rose ran through the vaccines available in order to prevent the most common diseases.
The three diseases that commonly appear in WA herds included Pestivirus, Leptospirosis and Vibriosis and Mr Rose identified the characteristics of each, in addition to the vaccines available to prevent them.
He emphasised vaccinating was an insurance and assurance policy for both cattle producers and buyers.
After lunch, the crowd was invited to inspect the Red Angus cattle penned nearby, with Red Angus Society president Colin Rex chatting about selecting bulls with the assistance of EBV information.
