IT is “capable and motivated people” that make Kylagh Cattle Backgrounding and Feedlot, south of Tammin, a “viable business”, according to owners Ivan and Jill Rogers.
The Rogers hosted a tour of more than 120 people on their property last week as part of the WAFarmers Field Day and Forum at Kellerberrin.
Mr Rogers said the business employed six full-time staff plus casuals, including overseas workers and they couldn’t get the job done without their help.
“We look after our staff as well as we can,” Mr Rogers said.
“We also ensure that they have the training they need to do the job that is required.”
The Rogers started the feedlot about 17 years ago with 499 head and built it up over the years to cover 50 hectares with a 5000-head capacity, providing plenty of work for their staff under the motto “quality through care”.
Mr Rogers said they had designed the yards to maximise throughput with as less stress as possible for the cattle when they arrive in the feedlot.
They could “bring in 100 cattle and have them (inducted in the yards) in 30 minutes with all the inoculations and identification completed.
The feedlot has about a 10,000 head turn over every year, providing “high quality” South West grain-fed cattle to Harvey Beef and the Taurindi Beef Alliance.
“We produce inspecification cattle week-in, week-out regardless of the season,” Mr Rogers said.
He said some contracts were delivered every week with nearly 100 per cent of turn-off going direct to the processors.
“Getting feed conversion is vital,” he said.
- For full coverage of the event – make sure you get your copy of this Thursday's Farm Weekly.