NOW into its fifth year, the Harvey Beef Gate 2 Plate Challenge continues to go from strength-to-strength.
A crowd of more than 220 people turned up to the annual field day, which also incorporated the opportunity for those who entered cattle in the competition and anyone else who was interested to inspect their steers and heifers at the midway point of the feeding component.
This year there were 66 teams overall, up by five entries on last year's 61 that were entered.
Teams comprise one heifer and two steers and attendees at the field day were provided with an update of how their teams were performing in terms of weight gains after each team was weighed on March 12.
Lotfeeder Sandy Lyon, whose Willyung Farms feedlot hosts the competition, said the heifers were gaining about 1.6 kilograms a day, while the steers were doing 2.1kg.
"This is a bit of a change from last year's competition, where the heifers and steers were both gaining about the same amount a day," Mr Lyon said.
"Why this is different, I am not sure, the heifers seemed to take a bit longer than the steers to get onto feed this year, but there is no real reason that is just what happens in lotfeeding.
"Some times they grab the feed and some times they don't.
"The steers are certainly powering along and doing well."
In total the average induction weight across all teams entered, when weighed on January 16, was 327.78kg with the steers averaging 326.82kg and the heifers 329.71kg.
When weighed on March 12, the teams in total averaged 434.35kg, with the steers at 444.22kg and the heifers at 412.78kg.
This equated to a 106.57kg average weight gain across all teams, with the steers gaining 117.4kg as an average and the heifers at 83.07kg.
Throwing in last year's averages as a comparison shows that the overall average of all cattle entered in the competition when weighed on March 13, 2018, was 447kg, with the heifers averaging 444kg and the steers at 449kg at the midway point in 2018.
The largest weight gain from a team in this year's competition was shared this year between a team of Chargrey-Angus cross entered by the Burrow family, Mason Valley, Youngs Siding and a team of Angus entered by Shark Lake Piggery, Esperance.
Both teams had gained 130kg at the halfway mark, with the Mason Valley team having an average induction weight of 344kg going to an average weight of 474kg, while the Shark Lake team had an induction average of 326kg and were at 456kg on March 12.
In the Mason Valley team, it was the heifer that was leading the weight gains putting on 143kg, while its two steers had gained 140kg and 105kg.
Shark Lake's team saw the heifer have a 119kg gain, while the two steers had put on 134kg and 135kg.
Not far behind, with a total weight gain of 126kg was a team of Murray Grey-Charolais cross entered by Lake Muir Prime Beef, Lake Muir.
This team weighed an average of 336kg at induction and had an average weight of 462kg at the midway point.
Just behind them with an average weight gain of 125kg was a team comprising of an Angus-Gelbvieh cross heifer and two pure Gelbvieh steers entered by Talawa Grazing, Woogenellup.
These went into induction with a 325kg average weight and were at 450kg at the halfway point.
Another team to perform well in terms of weight gain was the pen from WA College of Agriculture, Harvey, which comprised three pure Angus that were inducted at a 302kg average weight and weighed in at 425kg midway, representing a gain of 123kg.
Also gaining 123kg was the team from Corolin Farms, Narrikup, which consisted of Murray Grey-Blonde
d'Aquitaine cross that averaged 340kg at induction and were sitting at 463kg at the halfway mark.
The heaviest team at induction came from the Norton family, Narrikup, with their pure Murray Grey heifer and two steers weighing in at an average of 380kg.
The next heaviest at induction was the team of Angus entered by the Phillips family, Kanangra Grazing, Manjimup, with these tipping the scales at a 372kg average.
Just one kilogram behind them at 371kg was a team of Shorthorn from Tonebridge Grazing, while Henry Strating's team of Angus-Blonde d'Aquitaine and Blonde-Angus cross weighed in at 368kg at induction.
In terms of the heaviest team at the midway point, it was the Kanangra Grazing pure Angus that tipped the scales at 483kg that were the leading trio.
Just behind them by one kilogram was a team of pure Murray Greys from Alastair and Jenny Murray, Albany, that clocked in at 482kg.
Two teams finished equal third for the heaviest team so far on 479kg, with the first the Shorthorn team from Tonebridge Grazing and the other one a team of Murray Greys from David A Parnell & Co.
Two teams also finished equal next best on 474kg with these being DJ & H Mostert with a team of Charolais-Angus cross and the Mason Valley team of Chargrey-Angus, which finished first overall for total weight gain.
