Keeping cattle herd in the black

Roger together with his wife Heather and son Shane, manage 664 hectares west of Pinjarra and believe the decision to cross Black Simmental bulls over their 250 Angus females will aid the industry in meeting increasing demand for black-coated cattle in the State.

"We originally mated our Angus breeders to Angus sires but noticed our calves were lacking something and really needed more punch," Roger said.

"The use of Black Simmentals has given us the extra boost in weight gain and carcase yield and has sustained the uniformed colour in our calves."

Over the last five years the Sleight family have sourced their Angus breeders from the Manjimup and Pemberton area with the assistance from their local agent Richard Pollock, Pollock and Bray Livestock, Waroona.

"We originally decided to buy Angus females because we had already bought a couple of Angus bulls from a local producer," Shane said.

"The Angus females were excellent mothers and the market was always chasing their black calves."

With Richard's advice the family has recently made the switch from using Angus bulls to purchasing Black Simmental sires from the Introvigne family's Bonnydale Simmental stud, Bridgetown.

"I read an American article on Black Simmentals and it sparked my interest," Roger said.

"We were chasing the best genetic option to maintain optimum profitability and we believed the Black Simmental sires would do this."

February 2008 was the first year the Sleight family purchased three Black Simmental bulls at Bonnydale's annual bull sale, while earlier this year they went back to purchase another four.

"With the help from Richard we selected bulls that were structurally sound on their feet and legs and had low birthweights and high growth rates," Shane said.

"It is more important that we get a small, but live calf on the ground, rather than a large, dead one."

Although the Introvigne family sell their Black Simmental bulls at a younger age than most seedstock producers, Shane believes buying them at this age comes with great benefits.

"When you get them back to your property they climatise a lot better," Shane said. "More importantly you get new genetics down on the ground a lot quicker than most producers."

The Sleight family could not speak more highly of the Introvigne family and their service to their clients.

"They regularly visit our property to inspect the progeny and are always available if and when you need them," Roger said.

The Sleight's breeders are rotationally grassfed in two separate groups and although half are run on their Greenland property and the other half are run on a neighbouring lease property, they are managed the same way.

Shane said because there was only the three of them on the property it's easier to manage them in two smaller mobs rather than one big mob.

"It's also very convenient in the June period when we join two selected sires to each mob for a nine week mating period," he said.

The family mates their breeders in June to calve in March so they can be weaned in the January period.

"When we wean our calves we try to do it in the most humane way possible," Roger said.

"We yard-wean for several days and their mothers are always close by in the paddock."

When it comes to selling their SimAngus cross calves, the majority are sold between 18 to 20 months of age at an average weight of 400kg to 500kg.

This season Richard found an opening in the international and domestic beef market and the majority of the Sleight's steers went on the boats to Turkey, while the heifers headed to either Harvey Beef or Western Meat Packers.

"We have been pleased with the prices we have been receiving," Roger said.

"We received $980 average for an earlier shipment of 59 steers weighing 510kg, while our heifers returned an $850 average when sold to a local processor at an average weight of 470kg."

During the hay season this year the Sleight family decided to leave a lot of dry feed on the ground and reduce the amount of hay baled.

"We did this due to the seasonal conditions and the lack of feed that was around the place," Shane said.

"We cut 377 bales off the property this season compared to last year when we fed out 700 bales."

The family has recently bought in 162 bales of hay from a local producer at $50 a roll.

"Last year we purchased it at $40 per roll, but with the season the way it is I feel we still got it at a reasonable price," Shane said.

At full capacity the Sleights have 700 cattle grazing the property at one time.

"We supplementary feed hay only when and if the cattle need it," Shane said.

"It's our breeders that get more of a helping hand, while our weaners usually get the best out of the pasture."

This season the family has selected 12 SimAngus-cross heifers as replacement females.

"These heifers were the cream of the crop and were selected by Richard for their breeding attributes," Roger said.

"They will be joined back to a Black Simmental bull when they are 24 months of age."

The family's future plan is to infuse more SimAngus females into their herd and predominantly use them as their future breeders.

"From what we have heard the SimAngus females have bonus maternal characteristics of extra milking ability and fertility," Roger said.

"It will be interesting to see how they perform and where they take us in the near future."